A veteran biker’s birthday wish came true when she put on some leathers and a helmet and mounted a Harley Davidson motorbike.

June Pearton celebrated her 98th birthday with staff and fellow residents at the Moorland Garden Nursing Home, in Yelverton, by sitting astride the powerful bike.

She surprised everyone with her request, especially as she spends a lot of her time on an electric wheelchair, unable to move much under her own steam.

Mathini Navukkarasu, home manager, said: “We had a birthday barbecue for June, a resident, who is in an electric wheelchair and largely immobile, who told me her big wish was to ride a Harley Davidson bike.

“She told me just day before her birthday, so I had 24 hours to try to fulfil her wishes, and I managed to get a biker from Plymouth and asked him to facilitate this for us. He was very kind and loaned us his bike for June’s special day.

“He came on her birthday (Tuesday, June 24) and with the support of staff she got on the bike and had the engine on.

“June was as surprised as us because she never thought I would have achieved it, and that her wish would have been fulfilled.”

Not only did it come true, but 120 guests attended the barbecue and witnessed the happy day.

The bike’s owner Keith Finch roared to the rescue from a Plymouth Harley club and June was helped onto the bike to excitedly rev the engine to the delight of everyone.

June, a former water engineer, used to ride a motorbike long distances with her husband John. They crossed Europe on their motorbike, but did not have such an exotic and powerful machine as a Harley Davidson. Motorbikes brought them together – they first met when he gave her lifts to their shared workplace on his bike.

June said: “I had a wonderful day. Everyone was so kind to organise the barbecue and the live saxophonist, a cake and of course, the Harley Davidson. That was a big thing for me because me and my husband John used to go for long holidays on our various motorbikes. But although we had a lovely BSA 250cc and a luxury Francis Barnett 250cc two-stroke bike, they were nothing like the famous Harleys which are really good cruising bikes, but we couldn’t afford them.

“When Mathini asked me if there was anything special I wanted for my birthday I asked without any expectation of it happening and was absolutely delighted to have the chance to sit on it. It certainly made my day.”

June’s love of biking and adventure took her to Spain on their honeymoon during the notorious dictatorship of Franco. They had an accident which led to June flying over the handlebars and somehow escaped both serious injury and being shot by the regime - deemed a punishment by the regime for this ‘crime’. June and her husband have edited books on motorbikes and canoeing.

Her next adventure is to have a motorbike sidecar ride, safer than sitting on the saddle.