By Michael Alexander

A POSTMAN, killed riding his motor cycle to work early yesterday morning, was “so looking forward” to becoming a father for the first time in just seven weeks, his family revealed last night.

Robert McDougall (33) was riding from his home in Ceres in north east Fife to the post office in Anstruther when he collided with roadside posts.

The accident took place on the B940 Peat Inn to Crail road at Higham Toll bridge.

Mr McDougall was found by a passer-by shortly after 6 am. Police were called and discovered Mr McDougall had died as a result of his injuries, having collided with protection posts at Higham Toll bridge.

The motor cycle was extensively damaged and police said the rider appears to have died instantly. The road was closed until 9.50 am so investigations could be carried out. A police spokeswoman said no other vehicle appeared to be involved.

Mr McDougall, who originally came from Livingston, had been engaged to Faith Nicholson, of Ceres, for nine years. The couple, who were together for 11 years after meeting at a Fife Flyers ice hockey match in Kirkcaldy, had lived in Buchanan Park, Ceres, for four years.

Last night as Faith was comforted at home by family, her mother Jean Nicholson said the couple’s first child was due in just seven weeks.

Mr McDougall, who had been a postman for three years normally worked in St Andrews. He had started off delivering letters but for just over a year had been driving post vans in and around St Andrews.

Very recently he had changed his work pattern again, however, doing occasional shifts in Anstruther, in order to give him more time with Faith.

The couple had been due to attend a parenting class at Forth Park maternity hospital in Kirkcaldy last night.

Having set off for Anstruther yesterday at about 6 am, however, it emerged something was wrong when colleagues reported he had not turned up for work. Members of the Nicholson family went out to look for him, thinking he might have taken the St Andrews road, but police confirmed their worst fears.

Mrs Nicholson said he had passed his motor cycle test a couple of years ago, but had only bought a bike in the last few months.

He had only been riding it to work in St Andrews for a matter of weeks, and had rarely taken the road to Anstruther which he “probably didn’t know that well.”

Before becoming a postman, he had worked as a fitness instructor with the local authority in Linlithgow and then with St Andrews University. He had decided to become a postman, again so he could spend more time with Faith.

He had first met Faith when she was 15 and he was a 20-year-old security guard on duty at the ice rink in Kirkcaldy during a Fife Flyers match. When Faith went to university in Edinburgh, he became a mascot for the Edinburgh Capitals ice hockey team and the couple both become involved with the club’s committee.

Away from work, Mr McDougall had a great interest in computers and enjoyed constructing websites and collecting films.

His main focus in life recently, however, had been the forthcoming birth of the couple’s first child.

“He was so looking forward to becoming a daddy,” a tearful Mrs Nicholson added.

Last night a Royal Mail spokeswoman said their thoughts were with Mr McDougall’s family and friends.

Mr McDougall is survived by Faith, and members of his own family in the Livingston and Glasgow areas.

* Last night police confirmed that the pedal cyclist killed as a result of Wednesday’s accident at Cults Hills Road, north of Kennoway, was 48-year-old Alexander Ridley, from Kennoway.

Police said no other vehicles were involved and renewed their appeal for anyone who may have been travelling between Kennoway and Cults Hill on the C30 between 6 and 7.30 pm on Wednesday to contact them on 01592 251111.