Trainers in the line up for £20,000 (From Penarth Times)

Trainers in the line up for £20,000

AN INNOVATIVE Penarth company which produces police training computer software is on target to win £20,000.

Detail Technologies is one of ten finalists in the national HSBC Start-Up Starts Awards and could scoop the jackpot at a London final on October 3. The competition was designed to encourage fledgling businesses.

The company is the brainchild of serving South Wales Police officers Ian Johnson and Huw Smart.

They accumulated ideas three years ago after finding they were both working on projects to help police officers pass their promotion exams.

They now produce 'Pass 2000' which draws on their combined experience - Huw as an inspector in the training department in Bridgend, and Ian as a PC with a background in computers.

The package features multiple choice questions as featured in the exams, and computerised versions of the four Blackstone Press police manuals.

The Penarth pair met six years ago when Huw trained rookie Ian at Barry Police Station.

But Huw, who has worked for the force for 20 years, said: "I was frustrated by being limited to classes of 20 people. But now we've got this company, there are many more people we can help."

Huw and Ian spent 18 months working on the project until February last year when they formed the company. They went to the market last October, investing £20,000 of their own money.

After four months of hard work, which involved Ian's father answering the phone, they took on three staff and found premises in central Penarth.

Last October they set targets to get 2,000 customers in a year, but in 11 months they already have 2,300.

Huw said: "Nine thousand take the exams. This means so far we've sold our product to nearly a third of people taking exams throughout England and Wales."

Contact Detail Technologies on 2071 0740/1/2.