The months have gone by, but there's still no sign of Joe Scully in BBC1's Neighbours. Actor Shane Connor tells Viv Hardwick the truth about what happened to the popular character - and why he's taking the programme makers to court.

ONE day, 44-year-old Shane Connor was playing Joe Scully, one of the best-known members of TV's Neighbours cast, the next he was unceremoniously sacked and out of a job. Having departed the famous Ramsay Street set at Nunawading, Melbourne, Australia, within minutes of arriving to start work last October, Connor must think he's the ideal candidate for a British stage farce.

While the versatile actor is about to tread the North-East boards in touring comedy Anyone for Breakfast, his former soap has now wandered on for months with his character supposedly "working away". Joe still makes regular contact with the Scully household and shows no sign of being written out.

The next time the award-winning actor returns to his home country it's likely to be for a supreme court hearing as he's suing the makers of Neighbours for breach of contract.

In the meantime, the father-of-two finds it difficult to talk about his dismissal - mainly because he doesn't want to jeopardise his day in court.

So what's his view on the moment his six-year Neighbours career ended?

"All I can say is that it's going to the supreme court. There are two issues that need to be dealt with. I'm basically suing for breach of contract because I want just what I'm owed," says Connor, who claims he was ordered off the set without any offer of financial compensation.

"Nothing like that has ever happened to me before in 20-odd years in this business, and it doesn't feel too great. I've really got to be patient and have faith in the fact that the truth will come out and all that. I wouldn't be taking the case to the supreme court if I was worried about the truth of my case."

Connor also says the nature of his departure meant that he didn't have the chance for any farewells "although a couple of the people from the show are still in contact".

On the fact that his character is still constantly mentioned he says: "I've been told that's the case, but it's not up to me to explain it to the fans. My family is very solid and very supportive and has been amazing throughout. The things is, I had 20 years in the business before Neighbours, so you don't work for that long in this business if you've got problems."

On the many stories circulating about his sacking, he says: "I've heard all the rumours so it's okay. You've got to be able to laugh about it and you've got to smile and it will all come out in the end. I'm confident it will."

Despite having no date set for a hearing, Connor says he's not allowing the case to hang over his career and denies that his Neighbours difficulty led to a decision to take up acting offers in the UK.

He says: "You just go forward, you just do. It's just life and life happens to everybody so you've just got to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I look at the newspapers about those kids in Beslan and my problems are miniscule."

In fact last year was rated as his character's best so far, with Joe and Lynn deciding to have a fifth child - Oscar - as well as a continuation of the Scully family being central to most Neighbours' plotlines.

Connor says: "I'm proud of Joe and what I created with him and a lot of him is based on my Cumbrian father, just that good-hearted rough around the edges guy who tries to do the right thing but doesn't always get there."

He sees the theatre tour as helping him come back to his roots and adds: "My father was born in Whitehaven, Cumbria. I've got a week off in the middle of the run and I'm thinking of going across then. I've been there once before around 20 years ago, so I'd love to get back and have a look at the Lake District."

Although this is Connor's stage debut in the UK, he did panto two years ago at Dartford and had a great time, particularly because his children made the trip from Australia for Christmas. It's something he'd like to do again but admits that it might be a little late for a panto booking.

"I've been here six months, but I won't be putting out a single," he jokes, although rumour has it that the actor possesses a good baritone voice and can shake his hips with the best on the dancefloor.

He admits that he's had to "reinvent" himself to make sure that directors and producers don't just see him as soap star Joe Scully.

On the tour of Anyone For Breakfast he says: "My character is basically a man who comes home with an air hostess, because his flight's been cancelled due to fog, only to find his wife has loaned the house for the evening to a girlfriend so she can have an assignation with a toyboy. Then, unexpectedly, his wife's lover turns up, then his wife, and it all turns into a comedy of errors. A lot of running in and out of rooms, a good old-fashioned British farce which I haven't had the chance to do before, so I'm really enjoying it.

"The tendency when you rehearse is to go really fast because that's what it's got to do on stage. The director has got us to slow it down because every moment has to be on the mark, so that you can always speed it up later."

Connor, who hasn't set himself a time limit to find fresh fame in the UK, also lets slip that he's a shocker at DIY, unlike his well-known soap character. "I do like to go into hardware stores, but strictly to look," he jokes.

* Anyone For Breakfast runs Tuesday-Saturday (Sept 28-Oct 2) at Billingham Forum, Box Office (01642) 552663 and November 15-20 at Durham's Gala 0191-332 4041.