A Muslim Scottish government minister is observing Lent this year in solidarity with persecuted Christians – and he's giving up Irn-Bru.

Humza Yousaf, minister for transport and the islands and SNP member for Glasgow Pollok, invited his Twitter followers to vote for one of three food and drink 'vices' he should give up. The orange fizzy drink, often described as 'Scotland's other national drink' (after whisky) came top.

Yousaf will give the money he saves to Aid to the Church in Need, the Catholic charity that supports persecuted Christians in the Middle East and other Muslim-majority regions.

In his Twitter message he wrote: 'Think I'll join Christian friends doing Lent this year.

'Any money saved from not consuming my vice will go @ACN_Scotland who support persecuted Christians across the world.'

In another tweet, he said: 'Should say reason I'm supporting @ACN_Scotland is because the persecution of Christians worldwide in some Muslim majority countries is something that deeply saddens me, and most Muslims.'

Yousaf wrote: 'Those who commit such heinous acts against humankind insult name of Islam.'

Speaking at an ACN youth rally in 2015 Yousaf described religion as a fundamental human right for all.

At the event at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Carfin, he said: 'The Scottish Government strongly condemns the persecution of Christians and other communities on the basis of their religion, belief or ethnicity.'