A YORK-based speaker specialist which devised new technology to transmit sound through the bones took this year's Technology Business prize.

Damson Audio, on York Business Park, first created Headbones in 2013, designing a bone conducting pair of headphones that sit in front of your ear, rather than on, in or over them, leaving the ear free to listen to all surrounding sounds.

The judges described Damson Audio as the smallest company by far in this category, but said it is the one that has demonstrated genuine innovation.

The judges praised all three finalists as worthy winners but singled Damson out for continually producing products that are at the cutting edge of technology.

Chief executive James Talbot said: “In a genuine case of accidental finds, the idea for the product was borne about from placing one of our first products, Damson Twist, on the head.

"Damson Twist is a “vibration” speaker that dissipates sound through the surface it is on, and as we found, the skull works well.

"Abviously nobody was going to stick a seven centimetre speaker to each either side of their head so we began a two-year development programme to deliver the final, smaller, neater product.”

After developing the Headbones, assisted through almost £100,000 raised through crowdfunding, Damson found a potential audience beyond its initial leisure use target.

Mr Talbot said: “Very shortly after launching the final product it became apparent that Headbones offered those who couldn’t hear as a result of certain medical conditions a way to hear sound in stereo.

"This has opened up Headbones to completely new channels and we are regularly contacted by people who have not heard in stereo and now they can."