Prince William vowed to take a stand against slum landlords yesterday as he visited one of the most deprived streets in Britain with his wife Kate. The royal couple were said to have been ‘deeply affected’ as they were given a tour of mould-ridden houses left in a dangerous state in Blackpool. They were highlighting troubling issues surrounding multiple occupancy homes unfit for habitation that litter the once prosperous resort. William tackled the subject head-on in a speech, saying: ‘Blackpool has always been one of the UK’s most loved seaside towns. It is famous for its beaches, its promenade, its iconic venues and its stunning illuminations. Prince William and Kate were said to have been ‘deeply affected’ as they were given a tour of mould-ridden houses left in a dangerous state in Blackpool ‘But there obviously is a sadder side to Blackpool that we will see a bit of today – and we shouldn’t attempt to skirt around this issue. Dispiritingly, those challenges are felt very strongly today and they are more pressing than ever. ‘Unemployment remains quite high, skilled professionals continue to leave faster than they arrive and Blackpool has become a transitory town for many without the right employment opportunities. Against this backdrop, mental health issues and social problems have risen. ‘And a unique problem has also arisen as a result of falling demand for tourist accommodation, which has created an over-supply of what the council now perceive to be extremely low-quality private-rented accommodation.’ William and Kate toured homes where children had lived in squalor at the mercy of unscrupulous private landlords. They visited Kirby Road, where 16-year-old Sasha Marsden was stabbed by her killer 58 times and dumped in an alleyway in 2013. One empty house – which was formerly a B&B business called the Williams Inn – was covered in black mould and graffiti, with debris littering the floor and children’s toys and a small coat left behind. The duke and duchess, who was wearing a £940 Sportmax coat and high-heeled boots, were asked to walk on planks to avoid dangerous rotting floorboards, while water dripped from the living room ceiling. It was one of many houses bought by private landlords and used for multiple occupancy homes to take advantage of housing benefit. Blackpool Housing Company has since bought them for about £40,000 each and renovated them completely before renting them out as safe family homes. Lee Burrell, BHC development director, said the couple were ‘incredibly interested’ in the project and had expressed their concern that people might move back into housing of such poor standard. ‘They seemed quite shocked,’ he said. ‘There was an element of surprise that properties could be in that position.’ Alan Cavill, director of regeneration at Blackpool Council, added: ‘I think they were very concerned to know what could be done. The duchess was clearly unhappy about the fact that children had been living there – it’s not a place she would want to see any child.’ The couple also visited a newly-renovated house lived in by Christina Jackson, 59, who explained afterwards: ‘They said the house is absolutely lovely. They’re so down to earth, they really got it. They seem to know everything that was going on and were very understanding.’ The duke and duchess also met recovering drug addicts who explained how they were getting their lives back on course. Blackpool is a former jewel in the crown of the British tourism industry, but has suffered as a result of the rise of package holidays abroad. William and Kate spent the day at the seaside, starting at the famous Blackpool Tower. The duchess said she would love to bring her three children back to the tower and William admitted he had once been to Blackpool for a stag party and tried the resort’s famous roller-coasters. Kate said: ‘There’s so much here the children would love as well.’ However, some locals admitted they were not sure how serious she was about returning to the resort. 'I feel proud to stand in your presence as you tackle the world's greatest issues': Prince Harry's message of optimism to 12,000 schoolchildren with pregnant Meghan by his side Prince Harry turned political yesterday as he told an audience of cheering young people that they were ‘the most engaged generation in history’. In a very modern speech to some 12,000 schoolchildren and students, he said they needed to have ‘less screen time, and more face-to-face time, exceed expectations, and take risks’ if they were to leave their mark on the world. However his message of positivity was also peppered with criticism of previous generations, suggesting they were judgmental, lacked positivity and were incapable of ‘thinking outside the box’. Prince Harry, supported by Meghan, told an audience of cheering young people that they were ‘the most engaged generation in history’ Harry was at Wembley Arena in London to mark WE Day, a global initiative encouraging young people to take part in positive social change. And he drew screams from the young crowd as he announced: ‘I’m now going to drag my wife on stage.’ Pregnant Meghan, who was not scheduled to be part of the event, smiled as her husband led her from her seat and then stood with her arms around him as he spoke. Harry even referenced the duchess – who friends revealed now writes many of his speeches. He said: ‘As my wife often reminds me with one her favourite quotes by Martin Luther King Jr, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”.’ Harry, 34, in his role as president of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, told the crowd: ‘Your optimism is inspiring – you see opportunities where other people see challenges; you seek solutions when others just focus on problems. Pregnant Meghan, who was not scheduled to be part of the event, smiled as her husband led her from her seat ‘You are the most engaged generation in history. You care about values, doing the right thing, and championing the causes that will shape your future. You don’t judge someone on how they look, where they’re from, or how they identify.’ He said he felt ‘proud to stand in your presence as you tackle the world’s greatest issues. And you guys know as well as I do, we’ve still got so much to do’. The prince attacked both mainstream and social media and said he understood why younger people found themselves ‘frustrated’ by older generations. ‘If we look at the world we’re living in, I know it can feel challenging sometimes, but your role is to shine the light,’ the prince said. ‘Every day you are inundated with an overexposure of advertising and mainstream media, social media and endless comparisons, distorting the truth, and trying to manipulate the power of positive thinking. He was speaking to 12,000 schoolchildren and students, and he said they needed to have ‘less screen time, and more face-to-face time' ‘But you don’t let them sway you. You confidently voice your opinions because you can embrace them proudly. ‘You aren’t always going to agree, you may find yourselves frustrated with the older generation when it seems like they don’t care. But try to remove that judgment. Try to remember that not everyone sees the world the way you do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t care. ‘It means you have the incredible opportunity to help reshape mindsets, to empower those around you to think outside the box and to work with you, not against you, to find solutions. ‘You know that if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything. So let that be your true north, let that be your call to action – to inspire those who stand for nothing to stand for something – and to stand with you.’ Harry went on to highlight mental health and the environment as two of the biggest issues facing young people today. On mental health, he praised young people for embracing the issue ‘whole-heartedly, breaking the generational stigma and helping to normalise the conversation’. On the environment Harry added: ‘Climate change is a humanitarian issue, not a political one, and one where we’ve been far too slow in waking up to the issues and acting on the damaging impact our ways of living are having on the world. ‘We now have the facts, the science, the technology and the ability to save not just our planet, but ourselves. ‘I know you don’t sit back and wait for solutions, you take action and create them.’ Harry concluded by offering a 15-point ‘to-do list’ including: ‘Be kind to each other. Be kind to yourselves. Have less screen time and more face-to-face time. Keep empathy alive. Change your thoughts and change the world. Dare to be the greatest generation of all time.’ The WE Day event also featured a performance by Brit Award winner Tom Walker and a speech from Nicole Scherzinger, formerly of the Pussycat Dolls. All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility