THIS time last year, Allan Glass was fighting for his life as he battled leukaemia.

Now, having hopefully beaten the cancer, he has his sights set on reviving an old New Forest tradition as a way of thanking a charity that helped save his life.

The Daisy Chain Run, which used to see thousands of motorbikers making their way through the Forest in aid of the Wessex Cancer Trust, ground to a halt three years ago after 7,000 bikers took part in the Totton to Gang Warily ride and the rural roads struggled to cope with the numbers.

Former biker Allan, 62, is bringing the huge fundraiser back this summer, but with a twist.

Bikers' convention For the first time, it will be a bikers' convention. Thousands of bikers are expected to arrive from miles around and descend on Beaulieu for the day.

The money raised will go towards buying a new £700,000 gamma camera for Southampton General Hospital, where Allan received treatment for 18 months.

After feeling exhausted, Allan was diagnosed with leukaemia in November 2004.

He underwent chemotherapy and then targeted radiation followed by a bone marrow transplant.

"I lost all my hair and my skin went a bluey-white, almost translucent. I looked like a corpse on legs, people didn't recognise me and I felt awful for those 18 months," he said.

Explaining the new type of treatment he had, he said: "When you are over 45, if you have full body radiation it's likely to fry your liver and other bits inside and you are not really strong enough to take it."

Allan, of Westcot Road in Holbury, was injected with a radioactive isotope, which targets the spleen where white blood cells are made.

The radiation does not, therefore, affect the heart, brain or any other organs. The gamma camera is then used to find out where the radiation has gone.

The retired grandfather-of-one found out he was clear of leukaemia just before Christmas.

He said: "Now I have got rid of the leukaemia I feel about 50 again. It has changed my attitude a lot.

The fact I am still here and can still do even simple things like walking round the block, I really appreciate it."

Allan, a Fawley parish councillor, took part in the Daisy Chain Run on his 1500 Kawasaki before selling the bike when he became ill. But now he has a personal reason for reviving the popular event.

"We want to raise money to help them buy a new gamma camera as the one they have is old and over-worked," he said.

"It would allow more people to be treated more quickly and more effectively to give them a chance of life after leukaemia."

The date for the event is yet to be fixed, but it is expected to be on a Sunday in August.