By Sarah Swain and Rebecca Gray

BIKER Shirley Ann Barnes has organised an emotional 450-mile ride across Scotland to pay tribute to her "daredevil" best friend who died of breast cancer.

Motorcyclists will don pink bras for a marathon trip inspired by Ewan McGregor's Long Way Round, dubbed the Breast Way Round.

The event will see 100 motorcyclists take to the road in a fundraising tribute to mum-of-two Alyson Porter, who died last July aged 47.

The men will wear pink bras while the ladies will sport pink vests.

The event is being arranged by Alyson's best friend Shirley Ann, from Kilmarnock, to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Shirley Ann, 47, said: "When Alyson was diagnosed with breast cancer we were all devastated. She had to give up work because she was so ill and got into huge financial difficulties.

"She nearly lost her house.

"Macmillan gave her a grant to pay her mortgage and she was so grateful.

"That's why I decided to organise the Breast Way Round, to help Macmillan support more people like Alyson."

Shirley Ann, who is originally from Bury in Manchester, met Alyson, from Bolton, through biking and says the pair had a fun, "Thelma and Louise-style" relationship.

Alyson and her husband Dave, 40, even joined Shirley Ann and husband Kevin, 48, an engineer, on their honeymoon to a Moto GP race in Holland. Shirley Ann said: "We got up to all sorts together - being daredevils, giggling and sharing secrets."

The former midwife, who has a son Brett, 23, and daughter Elise, 19, even helped her friend write a love letter to her husband a few days before she died for him to open on the couple's first wedding anniversary.

Alyson hit the headlines during her cancer battle over her fight for Herceptin, which she got - and so paved the way for other women to be given the drug.

She was diagnosed with the illness in 2004 after finding a lump under her arm and underwent chemo and radiotherapy before it spread to her bones.

The Breast Way Round bikers will leave from Kilmarnock's Rugby Park this Friday and finish at Glasgow's George Square on Monday, May 25.

The route takes in Gourock, Dunoon, Inverary, Oban, Fort William, Fort Augustus, Inverness, Aviemore, Tyndrum and Loch Lomond.

Moto GP and Gadget Show TV host Suzi Perry has pledged her support to bikers. A similar ride last year, coupled with a ceilidh, raised £26,500.

Director of Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland, Elspeth Atkinson, said: "We are very grateful to everyone taking part in the ride.

"I hope the people of Scotland are as generous this year and sponsor the bikers who are taking on a massive challenge to try and raise money for people affected by cancer."

To sponsor the bikers visit www.breast wayround.com