'Batkid' saves San Francisco

Dressed in a Batman costume, a 5-year-old boy recovering from leukaemia had his dream come true to be his favourite superhero.

He fulfilled his wish on Friday through Make-A-Wish Foundation, with help from San Francisco city and thousands of volunteers who pledged their support.

Miles Scott was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was 18 months old, ended treatments in June and is in remission.

A crowd of thousands roared as Batman and the pint-sized caped crusader rescued a damsel in distress, captured the evil Riddler during a bank robbery and stopped a kidnapping by another villain, the Penguin.

A grateful mayor Ed Lee planned to give the boy a key to the city after the villains were caught.

Miles thought he was in San Francisco only to get a Batman costume so he could dress like his favourite superhero.

Make-A-Wish has fulfilled similar wishes across the US.

One child became Batman’s sidekick, Robin; and another was a secret agent, said a spokeswoman for the local organisation