For they have turned down the offer to join Central Scotland List MSP Jamie Hepburn to join him on a fact-finding walk which would enable them to encounter first-hand the difficulties of walking to the nearest proposed 'alternative'.

Last week we reported that Mr Hepburn had gone straight to the head of the house and asked the Chief executive of Royal Mail Adam Crozier or one of his deputies to join him on the walk.

Only then, argued Mr Hepburn, could top brass grasp the consequences of closing rural branches in Banton and Queenzieburn plus Kildrum Post Office.

But Mr Crozier who earns £1 million per year plus bonuses told one of his Scottish deputies to contact Mr Hepburn, declining the invitation in a move that has made the MSP see red.

I find it hard to believe that the Post Office seriously thinks it is possible to easily walk from any of the branches proposed for closure to the nearest alternative branch, particularly for many elderly and disabled residents,'' said Mr Hepburn.

"I am disappointed that senior Post Office managers are not willing to try out their proposals first hand. It strikes me that they have chickened out of doing so because they are scared of realising how ludicrous their proposals actually are,'' said Mr Hepburn.

"When the News asked Royal Mail what it had to say about Mr Crozier's refusal to attend the walk, a spokeswoman said that other post office officials would, in part, rise to the challenge.

"Before including any branch in the Network Change programme, Post Office Ltd makes strenuous efforts to gather as much detailed information as possible," she said

"A comprehensive process is in place to ensure that the ground has been walked and as much detailed information as possible is taken into account before any branch is proposed for closure,'' added the spokeswoman.

Meanwhile the woman who wants to snatch the Westminster seat away from Labour has also moved her anti-closure campaign up a gear.

Julie Hepburn who is married to Mr Hepburn has been delivering surveys to residents who would be affected by the closures.

The document will ask local residents to explain how these might affect them personally and allow them to have their say on how the wider community might suffer because of a shutdown.

Mrs Hepburn then intends to send the submission to the consultation process being undertaken by Royal Mail.

"The more information we can send to the Post Office to register our objection to these closures the better," said Mrs Hepburn.

"Rather than start a petition, which just collects signatures, I wanted to help explain to the people responsible for these decisions why our local post offices should be saved.

"I want the Post Office to look beyond dry statistics and see the impact that their closures would have on individual people and our local communities. We must fight these closures together," she added.