Paul Gascoigne kisses Prince William in chance Pret A Manger encounter

Former England footballer Paul Gascoigne kissed Prince William in a Pret a Manger on Thursday.

The affectionate encounter took place in the Bournemouth restaurant, where the Prince of Wales was highlighting his homelessness campaign.

Gascoigne was among a contingent of staff and diners at the sandwich shop as William dropped in to help as part of his Homewards initiative.

The two were spotted shaking hands as William enquired about Gascoigne, who has in the past faced battles with mental health and addiction.

The eccentric 56-year-old, who lives in nearby Sandbanks, beamed as he replied: “A lot better, getting there”.

As can be seen in the below video, Gascoigne then embraced the royal before planting a kiss on his cheek, breaking royal protocol in the process.

Afterwards, Gascoigne told The Sun: "I came past Pret and someone said William was there.

"I've met him a couple of times and met him at Wembley, he loves his football. I climbed over a few chairs to talk to him and gave him a peck on the cheek."

In June, William launched a five-year campaign to end homelessness, which he insisted should not exist in a "modern and progressive society". Pret UK is one of nine organisations taking part in the campaign.

Indeed, William, who is also chairman of the Football Association, was at the shop to learn about Pret A Manger’s commitment to expanding its Rising Stars programme, which helps break the cycle of homelessness by providing support, training and employment.

Over the next five years, the programme is expected to expand by 40 per cent, supporting at least 500 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, to get a job at Pret’s UK shops.

Afterwards, William said it had been a “very interesting morning”, adding: "We even bumped into Gazza, he popped into (Pret)."

William also visited Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium to hear about how the club works in the community to support those at risk of homelessness.