A teenage girl who missed her high school prom because of bullies has finally got her chance to party thanks to 120 leather-clad bikers who made her dreams come true.

Shannon Purcifer, 16, shunned her original prom last month because classmates had teased her about her illness.

The 16-year-old who is celiac also suffers from bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and arthritis. She had previously highlighted the taunts she was forced to endure two years ago, after a two-week stint in the hospital.

Her story touched the hearts of the nation after her mum Claire Carstens posted pictures of the 16-year-old in her unused $600 prom dress.

Describing the party as “better than I could ever have imagined,” Purcifer said: “The best part was when the bikes arrived. I knew they were coming but I had no idea I was going to be riding there on a three-wheeled bike.”

The fleet of bikers from Gosport Scooter Club were among those who rode to Purcifer’s rescue after a rival party was organized to “stick two fingers up” at the bullies who had targeted her for the past 18 months.

The young girl was also given a corsage to wear carrying a picture of her late dad, Daniel Purcifer, a Royal Navy Petty Officer who died in Germany in 2007 at the age of 28.

Carstens, a 38-year-old retail worker, said: “There’s no better way to stick two fingers up at bullies than to go out and enjoy yourself.”

Guests included Purcifer’s stepdad Kevin Carstens, a 37-year-old engineer, her brothers Alex, 18, and Brandon, 12, and four-year-old sister Freya, as well as “true friends” and family.

Speaking before the prom, Carstens described how Purcifer tried her dress on on the night of her school event in June even though she had decided not to go — prompting her emotional Facebook post.

Carstens said: “The night she was supposed to go to her prom she just did nothing. She tried the dress on but it was heart-breaking for her to choose not to go.

“She had been looking forward to it for months and we bought the dress as far back as February but the bullying got so bad she knew she wouldn’t enjoy it if she went.

“She agonized over it for a while but we knew maybe two months beforehand that her heart wasn’t in it. She’d had enough.

“With all the things she’s been going through with her health and trying to study for GCSEs, the bullying has just taken its toll.”

Purcifer, who is due to start college in the autumn, has to take up to five tablets a day for her illnesses, including rheumatoid arthritis, which was spotted by doctors last year.

Prior to Purcifer’s alternative prom, the head teacher of her Hampshire school said: “The alternative prom is a lovely idea. It is a great example of the positive power of social media, and we hope it is a great success.”