Undercover spies on a secret royal mission infiltrated a youth hostel earlier this year – and they liked what they saw.

Peter Field, the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, sent staff to the YHA South Downs centre near Southease on an unannounced visit to the revamped facility.

And just weeks after the royal representatives turned up to inspect the centre, operations manager Lisa Venter was told the Queen was on the way.

She said: “They came in and scoped us out with a secret visit to our cafe. So we were gobsmacked when we heard the Queen was coming.

“The staff are absolutely over the moon and we’re so chuffed that they liked us.”

The hostel was re-opened in April after a massive refurbishment, and now boasts 68 beds and so-called ‘glamping’ pods.

It is used by schools, young people and families to learn about South Downs, with more than 600 visitors every month.

Mrs Venter said: “Everyone feels so proud because we’ve worked so hard since it opened.

“The mood is really upbeat.

We’ve got music playing and everyone is cleaning feverishly.

“We’re putting on a huge buffet lunch too, so there’s been lots of cooking going on.

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