EXCITED crowds lined the streets to greet the Duchess Of Cambridge as she paid her first visit to Teesside on Wednesday.

The future queen was greeted by hundreds of cheering people as she made her debut appearance in Stockton.

Wearing a burgundy jacket and a radiant smile, the Duchess spent time meeting and greeting her public, many of whom had spent hours waiting behind the barriers to catch a glimpse of their favourite Royal.

Ruby Robinson, 19, was part of a group of teenage girls who had turned out.

She said: “It is a very special day. I did not think I would ever get the chance to see her. She is the perfect princess and I rushed out of my house to get here today.”

Kate arrived by helicopter and was whisked into the town in a black Land Rover ahead of a visit to the CRI Stockton Recovery Service, a centre in William Street that offers help and support to drug users.

While at the centre, she spent time with families taking part in Action On Addiction’s Moving Parents And Children Together (M-PACT) scheme.

The princess became a patron of the Action On Addiction charity in January.

Stockton’s Susan Spence, 50, who turned out to see the Royal visit said she hoped the princess’ arrival in the town would boost the profile of the centre.

She said: “I hope that Kate coming here will put its name on the map and help people to find the support they need. I also think it’s nice to see a Royal in the North. It will be good for her to see how normal people here live and maybe it will encourage people to come to the town.”

The princess spent an hour in the centre before emerging to chants of “We want Kate”

from the crowds waiting patiently to bid her farewell.

Clutching flowers given to her by members of the public, she mingled with the diverse crowd, chatting and smiling as people jostled for the chance to get close to their future queen.

Three-year-old Amy Knox, who attended the historic occasion with her grandmother, left saying “I want to be a princess”. Her grandmother Joan Wilkinson, 64, said: “She has been really excited and it has been lovely. To have something like this in Stockton is really important, we needed something to give us all a boost.”

The Duchess was hosted during her visit by the Vice Lord Lieutenant of County Durham, Alasdair MacConachie, who said: “She was a joy to be with – not only stunning but charming with the crowds. It was an unforgettable day.”