MORE than a quarter of Scotland's Post Offices have disappeared since 2002, new figures have revealed.
Some of the country's most remote communities have been hit hardest by the cull, with 22% of rural branches closing over the last 15 years. The House of Commons Library analysis shows there are now 1,403 Post Offices in Scotland - down from 1,904 in 2002.
The scale of decline had been masked by scores of branches being closed "temporarily" for as long as five years.
SNP business spokesman Drew Hendry said: "This will set alarm bells ringing. "Tory cuts to local Post Offices threaten the economic well-being and social fabric of rural communities all over Scotland - and they need to be stopped.
Now, there are 929 and 474 respectively - 501 fewer in total.
David Bowmaker, of the Communication Workers' Union, said: "The Post Office is in crisis. It has lost business over the years, and the response from the Post Office has been to cut their way to profit instead of looking at a different approach to the changing demands within society."
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