Almost 42,000 bottles of Irn Bru have been stolen

Almost 42,000 bottles of Irn-Bru have been stolen after thieves made off with a lorry full of the popular Scottish soft drink, prompting the brand to issue a rather hilarious appeal for help.

We've all heard of people going to extreme lengths to get their hands on their favourite food and drink, but this might be taking things a little too far.

Police are investigating after a trailer carrying a whopping 41,184 bottles of Irn-Bru was stolen from a depot in Cumbernauld, Scotland.

Considering the stolen haul weighs around 22 tonnes, it's not exactly something the culprits can easily hide.

The drinks company has since taken to social media to ask the public for help tracking down its missing stock, although it couldn't resist making a few jokes about the situation.

The theft took place on 27 September at a facility on Little Drum Road in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire.

According to reports, the trailer contained 26 pallets of 500ml bottles, including both regular Irn-Bru and Irn-Bru Zero.

The drinks are believed to be worth approximately £30,000.

The distinctive orange vehicle was reportedly captured on CCTV heading south, with a possible sighting in Cumbria.

While the investigation is undoubtedly being taken seriously, Irn-Bru has managed to find some humour in the rather bizarre situation.

In a social media post, the company wrote: "We know people would do almost anything to get their hands on BRU, but someone's clearly taken that a wee bit too literally."

It also ruled out one particularly memorable suspect.

"We also know it wasn't our balaclava clad granny, cause she was at the bingo."

Fans of the brand will recognise the reference to its famously cheeky advertising campaigns.

The company went on to ask people across the country to keep an eye out for the missing drinks.

"So, we're asking the nation to keep an eye out for 22 tonnes of missing BRU," the post continued.

"If you spot a suspicious amount of the good stuff somewhere it definitely shouldn't be, please let Police Scotland know."

Irn-Bru also joked about catching those responsible ‘orange handed’ due to the drink's unmistakable colour.

It seems the company isn't the only major food and drink brand to have found itself dealing with an unusual theft recently.

In the same social media post, Irn-Bru tagged KitKat and Guinness, asking whether either brand knew a good detective.

The joke referenced two other high-profile thefts involving enormous quantities of food and drink.

In September, thieves reportedly stole around 800 barrels of Guinness from a depot in Runcorn.

The haul was equivalent to more than 70,000 pints of stout.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Nestlé confirmed that more than 400,000 KitKat products had been stolen while being transported between Italy and Poland.

The missing chocolate weighed approximately 12 tonnes.

At the time, Nestlé reassured customers that the incident wasn't expected to cause any problems with product safety or supply.

As for the missing Irn-Bru, Police Scotland has confirmed that enquiries are ongoing.

Officers are urging anyone with information about the theft to get in touch by calling 101.