Gary the Gorilla, an 8ft fibreglass ornament, was reported stolen from Reynard Nursery in Carluke last month.

On Thursday, Andrew Scott, the owner, received photos of a gorilla matching Gary’s description tied to a caravan on the M25 and the M40 near Warwick.

Police Scotland said it was aware of the sightings and that investigations were ongoing.

Mr Scott stated that he was made aware of the motorway gorilla after seeing a photo on social media.

We got sent a picture on our Facebook page, but the first one we got didn’t show the registration,” he explained.

“The person who took it had no idea what it was; they just thought it was a funny photo of a gorilla on the highway.”

“However, the jungle drums continued to beat, and more people sent in photos showing the vehicle’s registration plate.”

Officers paid Mr Scott a visit at the garden centre on Friday morning, and he believes the images will help them identify the vehicle.

“The police wanted to know how I could identify him; we need to rule out whether it’s Gary or not,” he added.

“I gave them information about the Irish company that supplies them.” Although there aren’t many of them, Gary will have a few brothers out there.”

On Sunday, March 19, the statue was reported stolen.

A car arrived at the nursery around 22:30, with the occupants exiting the vehicle and unbolting the ornament, according to CCTV.

Gary was removed from the premises by a van nearly two hours later.

Gary served as a guide to the garden centre. Mr Scott dresses up for holidays and other occasions, and he was seen wearing a face mask during the pandemic.

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland.