Prince William was surprised by a cheeky Labrador during a visit to a college in Cornwall this morning.

William, who is also the Duke of Cornwall, was meeting staff and students at Duchy College in Callington, Cornwall when the excitable River leaped at him as he introduced himself to her handler.

The Prince laughed off the encounter and carried on posing for photographs and selfies with some of the hundreds of students who were hoping to catch a glimpse of him during the walkabout.

Holly Rushton, animal management programme manager, said the animals visit the college to help students learn about animal management.

“She comes in and helps the students with their dog training and things like grooming,” she said afterwards.

“The students find it great working with the dogs.”

During the visit, William learned about the courses the college offers students, including degrees in equine science, agriculture and horticulture.

The college also offers courses in the armed forces and emergency services, business, health and construction.

William took part in a crime scene investigation where students were examining an abandoned vehicle that had been used in a burglary – with a bag of trophies scattered across the floor.

When someone quipped that could be from Aston Villa’s trophy cabinet, the prince, who is a fan of the team, jokingly replied: “There are a few comments I could make about that but I am not going to.”

He also dusted aluminium powder onto the side of a car to reveal a fingerprint of a suspect.

William also visited a student-run cafe on the campus and heard from students who work there.

Darren Watson, enterprise co-ordinator, explained to William they had researched his favourite cake and had made him a chocolate refrigerator cake – based on a recipe from the royal collection.

The land for the college was originally leased by the Duchy of Cornwall, to Cornwall County Council in 1984 as a new agricultural college.

The Duchy has been a long-standing supporter of the college.