THERE was a Royal visitor to Swindon today as the University Technical College was officially opened.

The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, came to visit for the second time and was given a tour of the newly refurbished site before unveiling a commemorative plaque.

Swindon UTC opened its doors to students for the first time in September and offers an engineering focused education put together with the help of local companies.

Prince Andrew first visited the campus, located in the old Great Western School on Bristol Street, when it was being built last year and said he was pleased to be invited back.

“It’s an enormous pleasure to be here,” he said.

“I have seen this UTC grow and to see it completed is fantastic and I am really pleased.

“If we are going to grow business at the rate we need to do then we need to increase the skills. In some areas we are not producing young people with the skills they need so the response from this UTC, which focuses on electronics and engineering, is about delivering young people with those skills.”

Angela Barker-Dench, Principal of the UTC, said it was a great honour to have Prince Andrew visit for the second time in just under a year.

She said: "We are very proud to have the Prince visit us twice because it is not very often they come to a place a second time. I think that is a fantastic endorsement of Swindon as well as the UTC.

“When he came in February he saw the construction of the UTC and now he has seen the finished product. He is the patron of UTCs and I know he is a big supporter of vocational education.

“We have been open for a few months and it has gone better than expected. It's great to see the kids taking such pride in this great facility.”

It has taken several years to bring the UTC to life, with cross-party support from the council.

Council Leader David Renard (Con, Haydon Wick) said: “It's a great day for the young people of Swindon and a fantastic opportunity.

“Prince Andrew is very passionate about the UTC and engineering so it is great to have his support.

“This has helped to regenerate a corner of the railway works that was previously unused. We now have this great facility and the refurbished water tower is looking great.”

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson said: “We are incredibly proud that the UTC is rightly being recognised by royalty. As a former employer myself and a small business ambassador for the government I understand just how important the UTC is to our local children and crucially our local employers.”