RECYCLING firm Aylesford Newsprint is in line for a manufacturing award. The company that changes old newspapers and magazines into high-quality newsprint has been short-listed in the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Manufacturing Excellence 2002 awards.

John Ling, the Institution's technical development manager, said there had been a high number of entries. "This fact alone defies the perception that the manufacturing industry is currently in downturn," he said. "The diversity in the companies short-listed - from newsprint to a carpet manufacturer - also reflects the strong and varied manufacturing base in the UK."

Finalists will be announced in mid-June, with the winners presented with their awards at a gala VIP ceremony in London on June 26.