Two more locations in Ayr are set to lose their Post Office service as SPARs across the country have announced they'll close the service in stores.

SPAR operator CJ Lang and Son confirmed that 31 shops will no longer offer the service, including the Whitletts and Forehill branches.

South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth described the closures as a 'blow to the region'.

He said: "Sadly, right across Ayrshire we have seen closure after closure of Post Offices and complete inaction by the UK Government to keep them open.

“These latest closures would be another blow to the region, in particular these communities, and a further cut in the number of Post Offices across Ayrshire.”

He's urging the Post Office to find an alternative for the closed stores.

The Post Office have said they are "disappointed that CJ Lang announced that the Post Office counters they operate on our behalf will close at a number of their stores."

They added that the decision was out of their hands, saying CJ Lang made the choice to close them unilaterally.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “Post Offices play an important role in the heart of local communities across Scotland and we have worked closely with CJ Lang for a number of months to help keep open essential Post Office services for their customers. This included working together to develop tailored solutions to address their needs and support them in the challenging retail climate.

“At certain locations, there are nearby alternative Post Office branches, but we recognise that for some particularly older and disabled people they may not be easily accessible. We will look for replacement solutions both on a temporary or permanent basis for those branches that close.

“In total, 31 CJ Lang branches will close and 17 will remain open. We are awaiting formal confirmation about the timescales for the affected branches before we inform local communities impacted.

“Post Offices that operate in SPAR Scotland stores or are independent franchises that are part of the wider SPAR group are unaffected by this decision and remain open.”