Pictured here with local business owner Erica Wallace of Bieldside, Mr Jones said: "There are many small and medium sized businesses that make use of their local Sub Post Office branches daily. "

"As Erica pointed out to me with her beauty consultancy business 'Mary Kay' she is able to respond to customers orders almost immediately by using her local post office in Bieldside with the result that most if not all her clientele would receive their purchases the next day."

" However if the Bieldside Post Office is closed it will mean a journey to Cults, Culter or maybe into the Aberdeen city centre every other day or possibly just once or twice a week. Not only will Erica be inconvenienced and her business costs increase but her customers will have to wait longer for their goods to arrive."

Mr Jones continued: "It's these hidden costs that the Post Office forgets or choses to ignore in its calculations when closing Sub Post Offices."

"What is the long term future, if any, for the Sub Post Office network? For example will any Postmaster/Mistress wishing to retire in the future be able to find a buyer with the continual threat of closures hanging in the air? Or is this simply going to be an excuss for future closures - death by a thousand cuts? "