Meanwhile it is in negotiations with a Gulf-based investor to take its technology to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in a move which would see it open a new office in the booming Arabian city.

Biotecnix was set up by former ethical hacker Michael Largue – who spent 15 years working for IT giant IBM where he was charged with testing the vulnerabilities of huge organisations.

Mr Largue, who runs the firm with his partner Mia Chapman, believes the vein-recognition technology is virtually impossible to hack into compared to fingerprint or iris-reading hardware, which he believes is flawed.

He said – unlike Biotecnix’s system which does not rely on touch – fingerprint sensors can become quickly worn down, or damaged by cleaning products or when used in the open air in hot climates such as that of Dubai.

“A lot of companies don’t know that much about biometrics but we have been able to exploit other methods, or there have been teething problems [when we tested them] – we’ve never had anything stolen from us.”

Ms Chapman also claims that some fingerprint sensors do not always work with small children or elderly people whose skin may not be taut or could be blemished.

She said: “We offer clients the most advanced quality security systems which are extremely reliable and will last for years, as well as offering them 24/7 security monitoring for their assets and offices.”

The business, which employs seven people on Consett’s Ponds Court Business Park and at a data centre in North Yorkshire, expects to create around 10 new jobs in the coming months as the technology takes off.

The firm has also adapted the technology to be used in a PC’s mouse to control access to particular files on a database by certain computer users.