The Duke of York met young people who are turning their lives around by mentoring children at a Paddington nursery.

Prince Andrew visited a project run by youth development charity Teens and Toddlers at St Mary of the Angels Nursery in Shrewsbury Road.

Paddington Academy students, aged 13 to 16 and from disadvantaged backgrounds, have been paired with nursery children who need extra support.

The charity aims to raise the aspirations of young people through programmes like this to ensure they find jobs and training and avoid having children of their own at an early age.

Prince Andrew visits St Mary of the Angels Nursery

The duke said: “I’m hugely impressed with the programme and how far these young people have come in such a short space of time.

“My advice to this is make the most of it because this is an opportunity that few young people have.”

Oli Tomlinson, principal of Paddington Academy which has joined the scheme for the past two years, said: “It has been a privilege for our students to meet His Royal Highness today and to show him how they are working with toddlers.

“The project gives our students a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills and it has been a pleasure to see how each student is thriving in this environment.”

Teens and Toddlers which has supported 9,500 young people across the country since 2001.