IF you've got a case of the January blues, head down to McDonald's this week as the fast food chain is giving away free cheeseburgers.

All you need to do to claim your free meal is download the McDonald's app - and you don't need to buy anything else in order to get your hands on the freebie.

McDonald's is dishing out the burgers from 10.30am on Monday.

But the deal runs until Friday just in case you can't get to your nearest branch on the first day.

McDonald's says it's giving them out to cheer up grumpy fans on what's known as "Blue Monday" - which is believed by some to be the glummest day of the year.

The annual event is a bit of a marketing gimmick, but we'll take any excuse if it means getting our hands on a free burger.

Even though the offer is on until Friday, you'll only be able to claim one free burger - so pick a day when you'll be most in need of a delicious beefy meal.

A 301-calorie cheeseburger usually costs 99p and is a 100 per cent beef patty with cheese, onions, pickles, mustard and tomato ketchup in a bun.

To claim your free burger, you need to have the McDonald's app downloaded onto your phone or tablet.

You will need to sign up for an account if you don't have one already, which involves giving your email address and your name.

From Monday until Friday, go onto the "my deals" tab where you can add a free cheeseburger from your local McDonald's to your virtual basket.

Once you've confirmed your order and checked out, you will be able to pick up your free burger from your nearest store very soon afterwards.

The burgers will only be available from 10.30am everyday when the breakfast menu finishes - so commuters won't be able to have a free 7am cheesy treat on the way to work.

The My McDonald’s App allows customers to order, customise and pay for meals before arriving at their local restaurant.

It can also recognise when you’re within 100m of a restaurant and will send your order to the kitchen so you can beat the queues.