A DAREDEVIL celebrated his 90th birthday by whizzing along the longest zip wire in England. 

Ron Bury, from Southend, completed the 700-metre zip wire at Hangloose Adventure in Bluewater to mark the big occasion earlier this month. 

Not for the faint-hearted, the zip wire reaches whopping speeds of 60mph as participants whizz through the air. 

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Ron, a dad-of-seven, grandad-of-eleven, and great-grandad-of-two, decided to take on the challenge after seeing his grandchildren complete a zip wire earlier in the year.

The 90-year-old has said age is just a number and is always up for a challenge.

He said: “I have seen zip wires before and thought I want to give that a go.

“So, I decided to do it to celebrate my 90th birthday.

“I wasn’t nervous at all. I loved it.

“Although it still wasn’t long enough, but I could do it all over again.”

Ron first came to Southend as a child after he and his sister were evacuated during the war from London. He ended up settling in Southend permanently and raised his family here.

Ron has had a number of careers throughout his lifetime including as a driving instructor, a taxi driver, and as a painter and decorator.

He also served in the merchant navy in 1953 to 1958.

Ron, who is now widowed, spent 23 years married to his wife Lisa, who sadly passed away in 1998.

His son Chris Bury, 47, said his Ron loves to prove that age is just a number.

He added: “I am so proud to see my dad still do what he wants to do and not allowing age to be a barrier.

“Ron loves to do new things as he says it keeps you young.

“He loves doing things with his family and challenging himself.

“He is actively encouraged by his children to defy the age number too.

“Ron is now deciding on his next adventure, and he has his eyes firmly set on the longest zip wire in Great Britain, in Wales, this time.”