STEPHEN PAYNE, the chief designer of Southampton megaliner, Queen Mary 2, has been awarded an OBE for services to the shipping industry.

His role was crucial in the development of the £550m project that created the biggest, widest, tallest, longest and most expensive passenger liner in the history of shipping.

A graduate of Southampton University, where he studied ship science, Mr Payne, who worked on the design and construction of Cunard's QM2 for five years, was recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

Cunard is now part of the huge Miami based Carnival Corporation that also includes Southampton-based P&O Cruises. QM2 was constructed in the French shipyard of Chantiers de l'Atlantique in St Nazaire in Brittany before the ship entered service in Southampton in January of this year.

"I believe that the success of Queen Mary 2 was attributable to the tremendous team effort of everybody involved in the project, notably LRS, SMS-Tillberg, Project International, Design Team, MCA, Chantiers de L'Atlantique, CCS London and St Nazaire, and our colleagues at Cunard Line,'' said Mr Payne, vice president, chief naval architect for Carnival Corporate Shipbuilding.

"I would therefore wish that everybody considers my acceptance of this award as recognition of the whole team's effort that contributed to such a wonderful result.''