Royal visitor to Hastings made two stops to see old and new friends.

The Duke of Kent yesterday morning visited the RNLI Lifeboat station to meet volunteer crews, their families, fundraisers and supporters .

It was the second time The Duke, president of the RNLI, had visited the station after he named the Mersey lifeboat, the oldest in its class, in September 1989.

Martyn Smith, the RNLI's Divisional Inspector in the East, said: "RNLI volunteers at the lifeboat station had been really looking forward to The Duke's visit.

"He went out to sea for a short trip on the lifeboat and met some of the key people at the station. He saw how things have changed in the past 17 years."

The Duke then made his way to the new Bridge Centre, on Priory Road, in Ore, Hastings.

As guest of honour he officially handed over the completed centre, built using £350,000 of government funding, from the Hastings Trust to the community.

Also present at the handover were Peter Field, the Vice Lord Lieutenant; Christine Goldschmidt, executive director of the Hastings Trust; James Leathers, Bridge Centre coordinator; and Pauline, Hyland chairwoman of The Bridge steering group.