A MALVERN company is worried about the potentially devastating effects on its trade caused by the attacks on Afghanistan.

Wordsworth International, based in Christchurch Road, supplies safety, security and fibre-optic communications equipment to the Middle East and Africa.

"Obviously we are concerned about the situation," said Victoria Floyer-Acland, one of the company's directors.

"While we have had a small increase in inquiries for items such as walk-through metal detectors, most of our work involves long-term infrastructure development projects in the Middle East.

"We've recently seen an opening up of the region, with the British Government helping to promote links with formerly inaccessible countries such as Iraq, for example.

"Naturally, anything that jeopardises these burgeoning markets is bad for Wordsworth."

The company is finding that many of its British associates who work in the Arab world - particularly in the Gulf - are leaving.

"They don't feel personally under threat at the present time, they are wary of getting stuck away from home if war spreads to other countries," she explained.

"This will have a significant long-term impact on UK businesses.

"In that part of the world, building personal relationships and personal trust is an integral part of the business."

The company employs between two and ten people in this country and abroad, some of whom are freelancers.

It deals both with private companies and governments, and handles contracts worth between £10,000 and £2 million.

Formed in 1994, the family business originally sold medical equipment, but has diversified into areas where it identifies a shortage of supply for communication equipment abroad.