SALTCOATS Post Office could be facing closure, it has been revealed.

It has been named as one of 115 loss-making branches wholly owned by the Post Office which could be closed, or sold to another operator or franchise.

It's part of a Post Office plan which will also see 1,000 head office jobs go in a major shake-up of its operations.

The Saltcoats office in Chapelwell Street also includes the PO delivery base for North Ayrshire, and the employees are directly employed by the Post Office itself.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said that for the company to propose such plans as the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal continued was "immoral" and "tone deaf".

"We call on the Post Office to immediately halt these planned closures," said Dave Ward, general secretary of the union.

Saltcoats is one of the 115 remaining Crown post offices in the UK. The number has declined from nearly 400 in 2012.

The vast majority of Post Offices are operated by independent postmasters and local businesses.

Post Office chairman Nigel Railton made the announcement at the company’s headquarters in London on Wednesday in a speech to postmasters across the country, as well as retail partners and Post Office staff.

He said: "The Post Office has a 360-year history of public service and today we want to secure that service for the future by learning from past mistakes and moving forward for the benefit of all postmasters.

"We can, and will, restore pride in working for a business with a legacy of service, rather than one of scandal."

He claimed the move would "begin a new phase of partnership during which we will strengthen the postmaster voice in the day-to-day running and operations of the business, so they are represented from the frontline to the boardroom".

The Post Office, which is owned by the government, has 11,500 branches across the UK, most of which are franchises.

Of this number, 115 are Crown Post Offices in town centres staffed by Post Office employees.

The organisation faces a host of other challenges, such as fewer people sending letters, the rise of online shopping, with revenues for its branches being hit as a result.

Mr Railton said that the plans set out would provide more than £250m each year to postmasters by 2030, although added this would be subject to government funding.

It also aims to improve branches’ banking offer for customers, and will see a "lower-risk, better value" IT system introduced for sub-postmasters.