AGE is no barrier for a fearless Helensburgh OAP who will turn daredevil for a day when he takes on Europe’s longest zip slide to raise money for Helensburgh Dementia Resource Centre.

David Roper, 78, has overcome Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and a blood clot on his lung – but said he wouldn’t let that stop him ticking the 100mph challenge off his bucket list on August 21.

David, who lives in South King Street with his wife Audrey, said: “My family think I’m mad.

“Basically I’m doing it because it’s the only challenge my doctor would let me do. He wouldn’t let me do a tandem parachute jump because I’m on medication.

“The doctors probably wouldn’t let me cross the road.” David will travel down to Kent with wife Audrey at the beginning of July for grandson Stuart’s wedding to bride-to-be Heather, travelling on to Wales before taking on the Snowdonia zip slide on the return journey.

He is raising money for Dementia Resource Centre as his sister Joan Sowerby had the condition. He has so far raised about £260 of his £500 target.

The ex-navy worker also wanted to do a wing walk, but was advised against it because of his age and medical history.

But he refuses to let his problems get in his way despite going through DVT in 2002 and a blood clot a couple of years later.

He said: “With my blood clot I just had a swollen leg and I had pain for about three weeks with the blood clot on my lung and I just thought it was a sore muscle but I went for a check up and it turned out it was a clot and I was put on warfarin. I’ve just had a normal life really.” The sprightly pensioner also did a zip wire across the Clyde a couple of years ago, abseiled down the Forth Road Bridge three years ago, and used to enjoy taking part in the Rhu Marina New Year swim, but has since given that up.

David has always been active and an explorer having visited much of Europe, including Croatia, Poland, Italy, Spain, and former Yugoslavia amongst others.

Before retiring in 2002, David worked at Faslane on submarines, and prior to that was a dockmaster and maintenance engineer at Rhu Marina.

David now enjoys catching up with his family – son Ian and daughter-in-law Linda – and said he was enjoying his ‘third career’, an ‘in depth study of leisure activities’, which includes taking caravan holidays around the country.

And David said there is plenty of life in him yet.

He added: “I’ve ordered an inflatable canoe and am waiting for it to arrive.

“I reckon I’ve still got about 20 years to go according to my family history because my mother lived until she was 96.”