Cameron launches attack on Britain's 'walk on by' society

David Cameron will tomorrow accuse Britain of becoming a "walk on by society", with people too quick to ignore the suffering of strangers.

Quoting Admiral Nelson, who before the Battle of Trafalgar told his fleet: "England expects that every man will do his duty", the Tory leader will say that the notion of duty is still just as relevant today as two centuries ago. He will argue that people are too slow to stop people committing anti-social behaviour.

"You all know the famous signal sent by Nelson before Trafalgar. Those words may seem dated. But it's exactly the signal I think we need to send today.

"Our whole society - our peace and our wealth rests on values which we all have a responsibility to uphold. Trust, reciprocity, compassion. We cannot continue to allow young people to grow up with so little knowledge of and respect for citizenship," he will say to the Young Adult Trust.

He will accuse people of being too willing to walk on by when they see other people in trouble or causing a nuisance. "In too many ways we've become the walk on by society. Walk on by suffering. Walk on by an opportunity, and an obligation, to help."