Prince Charles and Camilla visit Stourpaine pub's shop

Prince Charles was supporting the Pub is the Hub initiative

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall dropped in to a Dorset pub which has recently opened a village shop.

The royal couple were at the White Horse pub in Stourpaine near Blandford during a one-day visit to Dorset.

The prince had a half-pint of local Firkin Fox ale and joked: "What time is it? Am I allowed to?"

As president of Business in the Community, the prince was supporting its Pub is the Hub programme.

The initiative encourages rural pub owners to diversify to provide services and support that would otherwise have been lost from rural communities.

The pub's shop which opened five weeks ago, sells local produce and houses the Post Office service two mornings a week. It also acts as a community centre with a book swap area, pool and darts teams and a Senior Citizens Lunch Club.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall went on to attend a reception at the prince's Poundbury development at Dorchester, before visiting the offices of Magna Careline which provides monitoring services for people living in housing association properties.