GOING Solo has been a family affair for brother and sister James and Victoria Brooks.

Between them, the siblings are running a Scunthorpe firm which their father, Gordon Brooks, acquired in a management buy-out.

That is not so unusual, until it emerges that - at just 25 - Victoria Brooks is chief executive, with 28-year-old James as sales and marketing supremo.

And just to get to her desk at the GB Solo thermal imaging company, Miss Brooks does a 92-mile round trip from her home just outside Northallerton.

James Brooks works from his base at the family home at Hornby Grange.

Already, GB Solo has picked up a millennium design award for a flagship project and Miss Brooks has just been named Businesswoman of the Year in a regional scheme.

It is seven years since Gordon Brooks was asked to do a management buy-out with Gordon Slack, the then managing director of GB Solo.

James Brooks got on board six years ago in marketing and is now sales director in charge of agents all over the world.

For GB Solo, the main market is the rest of the world.

Miss Brooks says: "The UK does not have the finance to buy our products. They are too expensive at the moment."

Examples are about £12,000 for a protective helmet system, but GB Solo is busy working on a smaller version to compete in the UK market.

Cruise liners are a major customer, as well as commercial shipping, and technology-conscious Scandinavia. China is an emerging market.

The helmets are being worn on the QM2 and the firm has done work for the Formula 1 racing sector.

Miss Brooks took charge at GB Solo last August after Mr Slack had a heart attack.

"We got there despite our ages," says James Brooks. "Many people tend to think a more mature person should be in this role when it comes to fire safety equipment - and often clients are surprised when they see us.

"One visitor from the US was shocked when I met him at the airport, albeit pleasantly. And he still did business with us."

The brother and sister simply co-ordinate the two days Miss Brooks is not in North Yorkshire to maintain the firm's direction.

"It is working well," she said. "We had a hiccup with the US market but James worked very hard to get it going and things are looking up."

She leaves home at 7am, getting back about 8pm, and, to get through her trek, she says she just "turns the radio up and 1 hours later, I'm there". But one recent Monday it took her 4 hours to make the journey.

The Brooks are proud of their British products. GB Solo produces one of the smallest thermal imaging cameras in the world and the only hands-free sensors.

"Winning the millennium award for design excellence was great," said James Brooks.

Gordon Brooks was born near Middlesborough, but the family has lived near Hornby for 26 years.

Miss Brooks went to Polam Hall School in Darlington with her brother attending Yarm School. Both were at Great Smeaton Primary School and both went on to Teesside University, where James Brooks did design and marketing while Miss Brooks studied business and economics.

Both also worked briefly in other spheres before heading for the family business.

"When I bought the firm it was not really with the idea of the children coming into it," said Gordon Brooks. "Here was a business which helps save lives and needed someone to put it together. The children are realising my ambitions to some extent. The blend works and I play devil's advocate."

James Brooks' wife has a riding school, where Miss Brooks helps out, and the Brooks have a pedigree herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle - the Bon Lea herd - with everyone taking part in showing them at events around the country.

"I am very proud of the whole family," said Gordon Brooks.

"I always wanted to do something in business. It was my great interest," said Miss Brooks. "I was dropped into my present job from a great height, but Gordon Slack taught me everything I know and I will always be grateful."

She says the kudos of winning the businesswoman award is wonderful. "About 400 people were in for the honours," she says. "I did not even know I had been nominated and it was nerve-racking at the interview."

She has no doubts about the future though: "I want more of the same.

"We have had three years of development and now it is time to do some cost-saving to get the price of products down to a reasonable level. I want us to get into the UK market and compete on a level playing field. We have to slash our prices to do this. That's the way to go.

"We also want to have another crack at America, which is a world of its own in many ways."