A PICTURE of an elderly widow which featured in the Shuttle/Times & News has been picked by a forces charity to spearhead its national campaign.

SSAFA, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, will use a photograph of Jane Jeffs in its autumn advertising to tell people about its work.

Mrs Jeffs, whose husband, William, was the first man ever to receive a posthumous Russian Commemorative Medal, will feature in a magazine called Good For You which has 11.5 million readers and is distributed through hospitals, surgeries, health centres and supermarkets.

A spokesman for SSAFA said: "We were very impressed by the photo of Mrs Jeffs with her husband's war medals and feel it will tell people more about the work we do."

Mrs Jeffs, 75, of Low Habberley, Kidderminster, was backed in her campaign to claim the medal for her husband by the Kidderminster area branch of SSAFA. Her story and picture, taken by former photographer Peter Ainsley, featured in the Shuttle/Times & News early last year.

Mr Jeffs was one of 2,000 surviving war veterans who, in appalling Arctic conditions, worked on North Atlantic operations escorting supply ships to Russia in the Second World War.

Mrs Jeffs said: "I am very pleased to think I am helping the group and hope they send me a copy of the magazine when it is published."