An American woman has celebrated her 103rd birthday by volunteering at her local community centre dressed as wonder woman.

Mary Cotter, from Monteclair in California, celebrated her birthday earlier this week by serving tea and coffee to staff and guests at the Montclair Senior Centre – as she has done for the past 25 years.

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"They call me the barmaid because I'm serving drinks," Mrs Cotter, who lives alone and still drives herself to and from the centre, told KABC7.

Her outfit on the day was a present from friends, she told reporters, because they think she is a real life Wonder Woman.

Mrs Cotter, who was born in 1912 and lived through both World Wars, has always been active. In her sixties she volunteered as a swimming teacher for local children and as an animal activists helped rescue sea turtles along California’s coast well into her nineties.