BBC man 'sacked as son battled cancer'

A BBC journalist who was sacked while his son was being treated for cancer claimed today that he was a victim of racial discrimination.

Perry Grambas, 42, from Childs Hill, who is Greek, was told his contract had been terminated last year despite more than 10 years' service.

At an employment tribunal today, he said the BBC discriminated against him because its policy of giving employees staff jobs automatically after five years did not cover foreign journalists.

Dr Grambas, who has a PhD from London University in history and politics, worked for the BBC World Service for seven years before being told he would have to sit exams in order to get a permanent contract.

He was told he had failed the test and was then transferred to BBC news and current affairs.

Two years later, he was told he could not do the job and had to go.

Mr Grambas told the tribunal: "All I got from my employer after 101/2 years was a kick in the teeth.

"My son was fighting for his life in hospital - it was at that very moment my employers dismissed me.

"I would like to be able to tell my child at the end of the tribunal that his father did not lose his job because he was not good at it."

Mr Grambas's son Nicholas was diagnosed in May 1998, with the aggressive childhood cancer neuroblastoma and given five years to live.

Eighteen months later, after almost six months in hospital, Nicholas had a four-hour operation to remove the tumour.

The BBC said it was sympathetic to Mr Grambas's family problems but claimed he had failed to work to a satisfactory standard.