PRINCE Edward paid a visit to the borough today to meet staff and pupils at a Wirral school.

His Royal Highness, The Earl of Wessex, dropped into West Kirby Residential School to officially open their state-of-the-art ICT suite.

The room has been designed, furnished, and painted at no cost to the school through various local sponsors.

As part of his visit, the Earl was treated to a special drama performance from pupils, before being given a guided tour of the school and chatting with children.

Unveiling a plaque to mark the opening of the computer suite, Prince Edward joked with the audience, saying: “This may come as a surprise but a plaque is not the most exciting thing in the world. But when I pull back this curtain, I want you all to cheer like it is the most exciting thing you have ever seen, okay?”

Gareth Williams, principal of the school, said: “It was a great privilege for the school to be visited by HRH The Earl of Wessex during his visit to Merseyside, and to be able to show him how the school has developed and progressed.

"Our pupils are already enjoying the benefits of the new ICT suite and with technology developing so quickly in education it will be a very important part of the school. We are very grateful to our sponsors’ kind generosity.”