A GROUP of verteran bikers – who dub themselves Hell's Angels Senior Citizens – are about to embark upon the trip of the lifetime.

The group of drinking friends from Blackburn and the Ribble Valley, plan to travel by classic kick-start motorbikes along the west coast of India.

Pensioners Peter Knowles, 66, and Roy Harrison, 74, both of Pleckgate Road, Thomas Barrett, 68, of Ribchester Road, Salesbury, and Lesley Mackereth, 64, of Glendale Avenue, Mellor, are flying to the subcontinent from London on Friday, March 13.

Mr Knowles, a retired construction manager, said: “Our wives think we're all daft. We decided to do it last September after watching Ewan McGregor’s television programme where he motorcycled across the world.”

Mr Knowles, who is a marshall during the Isle of Man TT races every year, said: “We are all experienced bikers who have been doing it all our lives but we know it’s not going to be plain sailing.

“The roads are not the same as they are here. People just walk out into the roads and cows roam freely because they’re considered sacred.

"But we’ll have no problem being seen. We’ll all be wearing special T-shirts saying 'Hell's Angels Senior Citizens Lancashire Chapter', emblazoned with the Red Rose of Lancashire and the Blackburn coat of arms.”

They will land in Mumbai where they start their 2,000km round trip, and plan to head south towards Masinagudi in the south west of the country.

From here they return north and will eventually indulge in a two-day stint at the scenic beach resort of Goa, before heading home.