Scottish shoppers buy cut-price items containing almost 110 tonnes of sugar every day, according to new research.

Cancer Research UK, which carried out the analysis, said it is the equivalent of 4.3 million chocolate bars or 3.1 million cans of cola being bought at discounted prices daily.

The charity is now calling on the Scottish Government to limit supermarket price cuts and multi-buy offers on unhealthy food.

It says such action is necessary now to prevent thousands of people suffering cancer in later life as a result of obesity.

Professor Linda Bauld, of Cancer Research UK, also said more needs to be done to make healthy food and drinks more affordable.

More than half of regular soft drinks (54%) and confectionery (51%) bought are on offer, while 48% of puddings and desserts, 46% of biscuits and 38% of cakes and pastries purchased are also sold at a discounted price.

These deals mean that over the course of a year, Scots buy cut-price soft drinks containing 13,672 tonnes of sugar and sweets containing 12,336 tonnes.

When biscuits, cakes, pastries and puddings are included, the overall total increases to around 39,700 tonnes.

Prof Bauld, a cancer prevention expert based at Stirling University, said: "Obesity is the unpalatable cost of the cheap deals routinely served up in our shops.

"It leaves a bad taste to know such an enormous amount of discounted sugar is lining our stomachs and weighing so heavily on the nation's health.

"We need urgent action now to prevent thousands of cancers in the future."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The Scottish Government continues to engage with the food and drink industry on action to offer healthier choices, including rebalancing promotions and reducing added sugar."