Prince William spotted selling Big Issue in Tesco

Dave Martin and Prince William in their Big Issue tabards in Hammersmith

Prince William has been spotted in west London selling Big Issue magazines, which raise funds for the homeless.

The Prince of Wales was seen at a Hammersmith branch of Tesco - where he swapped Christmas cards with vendor Dave Martin.

The prince this year launched a campaign to tackle the growing problem of homelessness.

Mr Martin met the prince last year, when Prince William was celebrating his 40th birthday.

'Butterflies in stomach'

As well as selling the Big Issue, Mr Martin, originally from Derby, produces artwork which is sold and printed.

Shoppers were taken aback to see Prince William.

Nayara Freitas said she had “butterflies in her stomach” as she grabbed a selfie with the prince.

“To see him engaging with all the people was nice.

“I asked for a magazine and I asked for a picture with them both, and then William responded, ‘Of course you can. How are you?’.

“He was very sweet. I also saw him earlier video-calling with someone’s relative after being asked by a woman,” she said.

After a week of headlines about royal rows, following the chaotic publication of Omid Scobie's book Endgame, Prince William has returned to his campaign over homelessness, on a private trip that was soon captured on social media.

“Be like William. Get your Big Issue now,” said the magazine’s editor, Paul McNamee, in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Prince of Wales has been an undercover Big Issue seller on previous occasions, putting on the red tabard and baseball cap, and surprising tourists near Victoria in central London.

Fan Nayara Freitas grabbed a selfie with Prince William and Big Issue seller Dave Martin

King Charles, the prince's father, appeared as a Big Issue cover star for his 75th birthday last month, as he launched a project to support food banks and reduce food waste.

Mr McNamee told the BBC that Christmas is a vital time for sellers and such royal endorsements "will help vendors, right at the sharp end".

The recent cold weather saw emergency shelters being opened for rising numbers of rough sleepers.

Record numbers of households with children are now in temporary accommodation, according to recent government figures.

High rental costs and a shortage of housing have added to the pressures on those seeking housing.

"Homelessness is at a record high," says Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, a charity which warns that "half of working private renters, 3.2 million adults, are only one pay cheque away from losing their home".