Prince William and Kate visit Blackpool

Hundreds of people welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the seaside as they visited Blackpool.

Prince William and Catherine were in the Lancashire resort to see health and social problems facing the town - as well as some of its famous landmarks.

Despite the rain, crowds waited hours on the promenade to see the pair who started their trip at Blackpool Tower.

They were also taken to some of the resort's most deprived areas to see the regeneration work being done there.

They kicked off the tour at the tower, where they looked at a giant mirror, unveiled by the Princess of Wales in 1992 to mark the opening of Tower World, which Prince William described as "fantastic" and "amazing".

They then went to a briefing on the resort's challenges, such as economic decline.

The prince said Blackpool was "once a jewel in the crown of the British tourism industry" before people began to travel further afield for their holidays.

He spoke of high unemployment rates but also highlighted "brilliant schemes", including a new enterprise zone.

The royal couple then went into the Tower Ballroom and watched the dancers before leaving for a walkabout on the Comedy Carpet.

The duchess told well-wishers she hoped to go up to the top of Blackpool Tower one day, and bring her children on their next visit.

The pair were shown around a housing project in Kirby Road. Blackpool Housing Company has bought several dilapidated properties in the area and refurbished them to rent.

The royal couple also met recovering drug addicts who explained how an initiative had helped them get their lives back on track.

Prince William told Louise West, 34, and Steven Brown, 40, he was "so proud of you guys".

The royal pair ended the tour at recently revamped Revoe Park.