Solo Ti, in Darlington, has worked with the White House, Ferrari and Nasa

IT'S late, the inky black sky punctured only by the arrival of a bright full moon.

Below, a huge £740m yacht sits dominantly on the sea, its owner, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, enjoying his luxurious surroundings.

Outside, the atmosphere is different, security teams prowl the 533ft vessel's perimeter, wary of the threat of sea pirates.

The owner of Chelsea Football Club also has his very own arsenal, after all.

But this haul of weaponry, which includes an armour-plated master suite and bulletproof glass, holds another asset, a search and rescue thermal imaging camera.

In another part of the world, US President Barack Obama is busy plotting his next move in the White House.

Flanked by security staff, he too is protected with thermal imaging equipment to guard against potential terrorist attacks.

SECURE TALK: Prime Minister David Cameron with US President Barack Obama in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington

The origins of this life-saving technology are equally staggering as their performance.

It isn't a global conglomerate making these products, it's a family run firm comprising 10 employees, and everything is manufactured on its Darlington industrial estate base.

Tucked away behind a supermarket on Morton Park Way is Solo Ti, a world leader in specialist life-saving equipment.

Its order book teems with household names and brands, the latest jotted down in green felt tip pen on a white board in the middle of its headquarters.

Brother and sister team, Victoria McLaren and James Brooks, recently sent thermal imaging helmets and cameras for the £470m Royal Princess cruise liner, with their fire protection helmets now standard equipment on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria liners, as well as P&O and Seabourn vessels.

FAMILY BUSINESS: Managing director Victoria McLean works alongside her brother, James Brooks, at Solo Ti

They have also seen their helmets used by Nasa during testing, developed products for the SAS, moved into the building survey sector and are now working on more hand-held detection units for the Bangladesh Navy and its 24,000 personnel.

When Michael Schumacher was dominating Formula One, Solo Ti was right alongside the German, their support equalling that of Ferrari's passionate Tifosi fanbase through their fire-proof helmets that were used by the Italian team's pit crew.

For Victoria, who became managing director at just 24, when its previous incumbent suffered health problems, the company's growth is a real delight.

She said: “We have an extremely impressive client list, with every piece of equipment researched, developed and manufactured in Darlington.

“We always say we are one of the best kept secrets, we have just got on with it, worked really hard and developed our products and never really shouted loud about what we do.”

SUCCESS KEEPS COMING: The thermal imaging helmets and camera which are used on the £470m Royal Princess cruise liner

Perhaps not, but the silence is deafening when it comes to Solo's success, which intensified after it moved from its original base in Lincolnshire.

She said: “My father, Gordon, carried out a management buyout of a Scunthorpe firm in 1996 and it grew from there.

“We moved to Darlington in 2010, I had fallen pregnant for the second time and I didn't want to travel to Scunthorpe every day from my home up here anymore.

“So, we looked at various places; Billingham, Stockton, Wynyard, and eventually settled on Darlington.

“We fell in love with where we are, it has Durham Tees Valley Airport, which includes the fire training school, the train station, and good road access.

“It's allowed to continue what we do very well and some of the work we have done has been fantastic and exciting.”

The company changed its name from GB Solar Limited to Solo Thermal Imaging, and the work and real pride in what it does is highlighted by a large poster of Ferrari's pit crew tending to Schumacher's car, which hits you as you walk through the door.

This Formula One side is just one of a number of favourites for Victoria.

The company worked alongside teams throughout the paddock, with championship contenders Ferrari and Mclaren joined by short-lived minnows, such as Japan's Super Aguri, in benefiting from Solo's fire-proof technology.

She said: “We worked with the Benetton Formula One team on fire helmets for re-fuelling in the pits.

“The McLaren team then got in touch about making helmets that could be connected to an air supply.

“This meant its pit crew could wear them for periods of time so they weren't tipping off rivals when they were about to make a pit stop.

“It was a lovely market to have, and great to see our products on that stage.

“But we are a strong company overall, and that is reflected by our ability to provide bespoke products for all types of people.

“We only have a small team, which allows us to be flexible and change the small things that the bigger firms sometimes don't want to as they only want the numbers.

“We developed a product for the SAS that needed a minor change and we are willing to make those adaptations.”

The company, whose whiteboard also currently displays orders for the Bulgarian Navy, is now firmly entrenched in the horse racing world, with its thermal imaging techniques used to assess animals for muscle and tendon injuries.

Indeed, it has already send 35 cameras to Australian racing stables and previously worked with Thirsk-based trainer Geoff Harker, when eight-year-old Gap Princess suffered a drop in form.

Solo Ti's equipment quickly diagnosed the problem, picking up heat patches in its fetlock and shoulder that allowed the horse to receive instant treatment.

Victoria says the company is looking to expand its franchise of this equine product with customers in Australia, Guernsey and Jersey, and revealed greyhound trainers were also keen to use the technology on their prized dogs.

She said: “Obviously, animals can't tell you when they feel an injury, so our product steps in there and shows the heat patches and where it may be suffering.

“Gap Princess was one example, and there was also a greyhound that was a third bend specialist.

“Once it got there, nothing could catch it, but it had an injury that affected its form and our equipment showed just where the hot areas were so it could get treatment.”

So, where does a company that has already attracted such high-profile customers go to continue its expansion?

“We are looking at the Indian and South American markets”, says Victoria, “and Brazil is an obvious area because of the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016.

“But we would also really like to push into the oil and gas sector and the renewable energy market, where I believe our products would perform very well.”

HIGH APPLAUSE: Chelsea's owner Roman Abramovich, who has enlisted the services of Darlington company Solo Ti

With such optimism, the company can look to the future with confidence, as can Mr Abramovich.

The next time he steps on his yacht, his safety will be assured by Solo's thermal imaging camera.

All he will have to worry about is how Jose Mourinho and his multi-million pound team of stars are getting on at Stamford Bridge.