Neighbours actor Ian Smith, who plays fuddy duddy Harold Bishop in the Australian soap opera, has expressed his dismay at the shows producers decision to axe the entire Timmins family.

“I think it was a huge mistake to get rid of them - I was in love with every single one,” Ian told Inside Soap.

“Fortunately, we’re still left with Janae, played by Eliza Taylor-Cotter. If you want an actress who’s going places, look to her. She’s a natural-born comedienne and a lovely person, too. If I could have been guaranteed of having a child like her in real life, I might have considered it.”