Queen completes first visit to Warrington in more than 30 years

Large crowds were gathering at Orford Park from as early as 7am ahead of the visit.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived around 11.30am in her first official visit to Warrington since 1979 and left just after noon.

It is part of her jubilee tour of the country and she will later visit Liverpool having been to Chester Zoo earlier today.

The Queen, wearing a coral dress and coat by Stewart Parvin and a matching hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan and met the Mayor Clr Mike Biggin, Warrington North MP Helen Jones, council leader Terry O'Neill and chief executive Diana Terris.

On their arrival the royal couple swapped their Bentley for a Range Rover which took them on a tour of the Orford Park development.

Youngsters from schools across the town performed dances while a variety of displays from dog shows to Army games were also on show for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Next up they stopped off at the Orford Park Community Centre where an old fashioned street party was set up and the royal couple were introduced to community figures as old swing band music played out.

Then it was back into the car and up to the new £30million Orford Park hub which has been built as the largest Olympic legacy development outside of London.

The Queen was talked through the new development and was shown artwork done by children from Lysander High School and a jubilee history display by Warrington Museum.

Students from the University of Chester then presented the Queen with The Loyal Address before she unveiled a statue at the front of the building.

The Duke of Edinburgh also helped youngsters to bury a time capsule which has been created by children from schools in the Orford area.

And with that the couple waved goodbye to the crowds who had turned out to see them as they headed off to their next appointment in Liverpool.

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