Cambridge University is urging its students to stop flirting with their professors as sexual relationships between lecturers and students are now banned.

Cambridge University has asked its students to stop flirting with staff as sexual relationships with professors are banned under a new policy.

The new rules, which come into force on July 1, include a warning against behavior “that could be interpreted as flirting.”

University staff have been told they must report any behavior that might suggest that a student is making “advances toward a personal, particularly intimate, relationship.”

Students were even told that records of “flirtatious behaviour” could be kept if the university deemed it appropriate, the Telegraph reported.

Employees were told they had to admit any current or past relationships or friendships with students by August 1 or face dismissal.

The rules, which come under Cambridge’s updated relationship policy, are part of a complete ban on sexual relationships between professors and students from July.

The old directive simply strongly discouraged such relationships rather than banning them entirely.

Lecturers are also discouraged from developing close friendships with the students they teach.

Cambridge defended the policy, saying it had been updated to protect staff and students from potential conflicts of interest and to prevent sexual misconduct.

With the new code, Cambridge follows Oxford University, which introduced a similar policy last year.

However, Cambridge’s rules go a step further and state that records of flirtatious “messages or other behaviour” should be kept.

A University of Cambridge spokesman said: “The new policy on staff-student relations is the result of extensive consultation across the University, involving representatives of staff and students, as well as departments and colleges.”

“In addition, the views of the regulator, the Office for Students and Universities UK will also be taken into account.”

“The directive significantly strengthens the existing approach.

“From 1 July, intimate relationships between staff and students are prohibited if the staff member has a professional responsibility for the student within the meaning of the directive.”