Princess Kate surprises Southport families as Royals offers their continued support

Southport had its second royal visit in nearly as many months today after the Prince and Princess of Wales met with victims of the Southport tragedy.

William and Catherine are understood to have met with families and others who were directly impacted in the tragic events of July 29th.

In private they met the families of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, who died as a result of the attack at The Hart Space community centre in July.

They also met with one of the dance teachers who was leading the session.

The couple flew into RAF Woodvale before an escort brought them to a venue on the outskirts of Southport town centre.

There they spent time with families to offer their support and sympathies.

The royal couple also met emergency workers from police and the health services who were called out to the attack.

Prince William and Catherine have campaigned about the importance of being open about mental health problems and their visit included talking to mental health practitioners who supported emergency responders who had faced such disturbing scenes.

The couple had made a donation, via their charity, to a fundraiser to help provide physical and psychological help for police and ambulance staff who were caught up in the attack and the riots that followed.

Unlike the visit by the King in August, this visit was kept under wraps and the couple chose not to directly greet the public following the visit.

Instead they waved to well wishers who had gathered outside as well as smiling and acknowledging shoppers along Lord Street who were caught unawares by the motorcade as it sped back to Formby just before 4pm