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A Glasgow cider fan took a 300-mile round trip to England to bag a bargain on his favourite tipple .

Craig Mitchell, from Yoker, drove to Carlisle on Monday to stock up on Hawksridge Cider after the price jumped from £2.15 for a two-litre bottle to £5.75 following the introduction of minimum pricing in Scotland.

With a 50p minimum price per unit it means that cheap booze is no longer available north of the border.

But Craig, 29, swerved the law by driving to Asda in Carlisle on Monday and purchasing 50 bottles of Hawksridge.

Craig spent about £100 and saved £180 in a purchase he described as a "get it up ye" to the new pricing in Scotland.

"It was more of a ‘get it up ye’ to be honest," he said.

(Image: cjsnowdon/Twitter)

"They can’t take our alcohol off us. I just got over the border and typed ‘Asda’ into my phone.

"My mate Peter has said not to worry about room to keep it – I can plonk it in his garage."

Of course, the savings above don't factor in the amount Craig spent on fuel. It looks as though he's got a 4x4, so chances are he spent a good £70 on travel, the Daily Mirror reported.

The controversial minimum alcohol pricing policy was introduced in Scotland at the start of this month after a unanimous vote at the Scottish Parliament.

The 50p cap was backed by Health Secretary Shona Robison and Holyrood’s Health and Sport Committee.

Researchers predict a minimum unit price will lead to 392 fewer alcohol-related deaths and more than 8,000 fewer alcohol-related hospital admissions.

The decision, though, is not without opposition. Alcohol company bosses are among those against the legislation.

And it is divisive. More upmarket alcohol is essentially unaffected by the move. It is cheaper drinks – such as cider and low cost lager – which have risen in price.

Some stronger ciders have gone up by as much as £6-7 per bottle.