Tomorrow's visit to Helston by Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has been postponed because of England's continuing success in the World Cup football tournament.

Instead of meeting staff at a Helston company and chatting with students from Helston School, the Duke, who is president of the Football Association, will be in Japan to watch England's crucial quarter-final match against Brazil.

The last-minute postponement of the Cornwall visit has disappointed the 65 staff at AP Valves on the Water-ma-Trout industrial estate, who were preparing to welcome the Duke, along with Helston Mayor and Mayoress Nick and Jill Martin, and town clerk Ginette Cardew.

The company, which manufactures diving equipment and has won several awards for its innovative designs, was chosen to tie in with a tour designed to showcase the diversity of Cornwall's maritime connections.

Staff member Sarah Jenkin, who was co-ordinating arrangements for the visit, said yesterday the company had only just learned the Duke would not be coming.

"We were only told this morning. I think everybody was looking foward to it and they will be a bit disappointed," she said.

"The Lord Lieutenant's office was doing a lot of the preparation but we have had to check all the routes through the factory, and do a bit of extra cleaning!"

The Duke was due to leave Helston by helicopter, taking off from the playing field at Helston School, where he had been expected to greet students during an informal walkabout.

The field was to have been rolled specially for the occasion, after being turned into something of a mudbath following Helston Motor Show on Sunday.

Deputy headteacher David Taylor said yesterday he was unaware the visit had been postponed.

The Duke had also been due to visit Newlyn harbour and to officially open the annual Festival of the Sea at Looe.

A spokeswoman for the Duke said yesterday the Foreign Office had asked that a representative from the royal household travel to Japan to represent Britain at the World Cup.

"We send our sincere apologies to the people of Cornwall, but we could not have planned it in advance," she said. "It is a postponement, not a cancellation, and we will make every effort to reinstate the visit."