Disabled youngster Hayley Roberts used computer power to welcome the Princess Royal to a new therapy centre.

Hayley, nine, who suffers from cerebral palsy, presented the Princess with a bouquet of flowers, then touched a computer button to complete her greeting.

"Hello, my name is Hayley Roberts, I would like to welcome you to the new Ace centre," she said in a pre-recorded message. The Princess, wearing a green two-piece suit, had arrived to open the new Aiding Communication in Education (Ace) building in Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford, during a day of engagements in the city yesterday.

She said: "It is a very fine building and I am sure it will be be very popular and make a huge contribution to the local community."

Penny Glover, the centre's fundraiser, launched an appeal last year to raise the £800,000 needed for the new building. She said: "The centre is designed to help people with communication problems, either speech or written." One of those who has benefited is Matthew Winters. Matthew, 16, a pupil at Peers School, Littlemore, has cerebral palsy, but can communicate using a voice recognition computer which helps him with his pronunciation.

The Princess also visited the Park Hospital for Children in Headington where she opened a new occupational therapy department. She was greeted by Elizabeth Wincott, chairman of the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare Trust. Earlier in the day the princess joined Princess Chulabhorn, daughter of the king of Thailand and a leading research scientist.

The two princesses officially opened the new headquarters of the Oxford International Biomedical Centre, based at the Westwood Country Hotel at Boars Hill.

Story date: Tuesday 13 April

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