ONE of a top TV soap’s youngest stars has been sacked – at the tender age of just ten months.

Leigh tot Gabriel Miller-Williams’ mum Claire is furious BBC bosses have dropped him from EastEnders to cut costs.

Gabriel, of Danesleigh Gardens, Leigh, has played baby Oscar Branning on the popular soap since he was six weeks old.

Now BBC bosses have replaced him with another “Oscar” to save on Gabriel’s cab fares to and from the Elstree studios where the show is filmed.

Mrs Miller-Williams is so angry she is threatening to sue the BBC for unfair dismissal She said: “I wasn’t even contacted and offered the chance to drive him there, instead of getting the taxi. The fare was less than £150 a day.”

Mrs Miller-Williams is also also annoyed Gabriel was dropped after the family changed its holiday arrangements to fit in with the filming schedule of scenes featuring Gabriel.

She said she first suspected something was wrong when BBC staff failed to return her calls, after the family got back from their re-arranged summer break late last month.

She added: “Then a friend of mine, who also has a child in EastEnders, called me to say they were filming with a baby who wasn’t Gabriel.

“Eventually, the BBC admitted to me it was using the child of a member of its accounts department and Gabriel wasn’t needed, so it could save the taxi fare.”

Gabriel was earning £40 a day, plus expenses for his role in the show.

His agent, Sandra Singer, of Sandra Singer Associates, in Leigh, was keen to play down the row.

She explained: “There is no contract, just appearance fees. Other babies are often used.

“They didn’t make the decision to drop Gabriel until Monday.

“I was told immediately and I told his family then.”

BBC spokesman Cathie Davey said: “It is not unusual for babies to be recast several times in continuing drama series such as EastEnders.

“In this instance, the decision to recast at this time was in part due to Gabriel’s travelling costs.

“As the BBC strives to deliver value for money across all its productions, travel costs are a factor that must be considered.”