A TRIO of Malvern people who have excelled in their work have been recognised in the Queen's Jubilee Honours list.

QinetiQ engineer Chris Bassett, of Thirlstane Road, has been made an MBE for his services to the defence industry.

Mr Bassett, aged 60, began his career in 1959 working for the Ministry of Supply at the Royal Radar Establishment as a scientific assistant.

He worked first on anti-aircraft radar and airborne electronic counter- measures, before switching in 1971 to lightweight battlefield radar systems, including the mortar-locating radar Cymbeline, still in service with the British and other armies.

He later worked on battlefield surveillance systems and spent the final decade of his career in the operational systems team of the Sensors and Electronics Division of what is now QinetiQ.

He retired as principal engineer in March but was re-employed by QinetiQ Trusted Experts.

Mr Bassett said: "I'm greatly honoured to be made an MBE. It reflects well on the close relationship between UK industry, the Defence Procurement Agency, government scientific research institutions and the military users of the world."

Mr Bassett is also well known as a founder of Malvern Theatre Players, ans is currently the company's manager.

Zella Shawyer, of North End Lane, a founding member of the Malvern branch of the mental health charity MIND, has also been made an MBE.

She was prompted to launch the branch following her own struggle against depression.

Mrs Shawyer is now secretary of the group and her husband Ken the chairman. She also trained as a counsellor and holds a diploma in that subject.

"I just wanted to help people who have been through similar experiences to me," she said.

"I'm really quite proud that I'm getting some recognition but that was not my motivation."

Dr Alison Hodge from QinetiQ, Malvern, has been made an MBE for her services to physics after being nominated by Alun Jones, chief executive of the Institute of Physics.

For 26 years, Dr Hodge has been an active member of the IOP and between 1995 and 1997 was chairman of the Midland branch.

She is now a member of its council, chairman of the IOP chartered engineer committee and is leading a working group looking at the lack of women in science and engineering, particularly at senior levels.

Alun Jones said: "Dr Hodge has contributed selflessly for a number of years both centrally and regionally."

Born in Bromley, Kent, Dr Hodge did her BSc and PhD in physics at Reading University. After postdoctoral research in Reading and Strasbourg, France, she joined QinetiQ (then RSRE) in 1980 as a research scientist.

She has led research on various silicon chips, established and managed a multimillion pound silicon device fabrication laboratory and initiated research on microengineered electronic devices. Today, Dr Hodge holds a senior managerial role at QinetiQ.