A post office in Aberdeen is due to close this weekend.
Bucksburn postmaster Helen Donald has decided to retire, meaning the future of the branch is uncertain.
The Post Office has launched a consultation to see if anyone else would be interested in taking on the services, but in the meantime locals will have to travel to Woodside or Dyce to post parcels, pick up delivers or get their travel money.
The branch, located at Sclattie Shops in Bucksburn, will officially close on Saturday at 2pm.
Ms Donald has been at the helm for 20 years, and said yesterday the time felt right to retire.
Staff were left shaken after an attempted armed robbery at the branch last summer, with the would-be thieves wielding a machete.
Ms Donald admitted the incident “did have an effect” on her decision to retire.
She said: “Bucksburn is a changed place, and I was affected by the robbery that took place last July.
“I started this job 20 years ago, as I was looking for a premises in Bucksburn to host a post office.
“We’ve always had a very tight-knit team, but after 20 years I decided I’d done my bit.
“However we are keeping the post office’s side business open – Sclattie Snacks – and that won’t change with the post office closure.”
Yesterday, Aberdeen Donside MSP Mark McDonald said he hoped a solution was found to save the post office in Bucksburn.
A spokesman from Post Office Ltd said: “We would like to apologise for the inconvenience the temporary closure may cause.
“We will continue to work to find a solution that will provide a Post Office service to the local community.”
The consultation into the branch’s closure will run until April 1.
