Schoolchildren in England and Wales could be turned away when they arrive for the new term after a delay in vetting teaching staff has led to teacher shortages.

Following fresh fears for child safety in the wake of the Soham murders, teachers are facing more stringent checks before they can enter the classroom.

But a delay in processing the checks has led to many teachers being excluded on the first day of the new school year and has resulted in some schools turning away pupils.

In Leicester, where pupils returned on Thursday, some classrooms were left empty.

The Department of Education and Skills insisted the government was doing all it could to ensure that children are not put at risk.

A spokesman for the department said: "We are working closely with the Home Office and the school to ensure the new teachers are checked as quickly as possible. Child protection is paramount and non-negotiable."

Headteachers and opposition parties have slammed the Criminal Records Bureau over the delays in processing checks.

Shadow education secretary Damian Green said: The government was being warned as far back as April, before the Criminal Records Bureau got going, that there were going to be problems, it didn't have enough resources.

"It did nothing about those warnings until it panicked a few weeks ago after the terrible events in Soham and it hasn't panicked effectively.

"Looking ahead, the chaos we are seeing in Leicestershire this morning may well be repeated across the country next week."