Britney Spears was dumped by both her manager and her lawyer yesterday after a former bodyguard stepped into her custody battle as a surprise witness.

Tony Barretto, who was employed by Britney for two months earlier this year, came forward yesterday and according to his lawyer, Gloria Allred is “prepared to testify on issues of nudity by Ms Spears, drug use and safety issues involving the children post-rehab”.

According to a statement released through Allred, Tony “was in her home on a full-time basis, drove her to appointments, and observed her behavior inside of her home, outside of her home, and around her children. During that time, he became very concerned about the children and their safety.”

“Though he was reluctant to come forward and become embroiled in her cutody dispute, he did so because of his concern about the safetly and well-being of the children. He’s a father of young children himself.”

Tony’s deposition has been filed with the court overseeing the custody dispute but neither the court or Britney’s legal team choose to cross-examine the former bodyguard when he appeared at a hearing yesterday. Britney’s lawyer Laura Wasser told reporters that Tony is “not a reliable witness”, rather simply a disgruntled employee - but then herself announced that she was quitting as Britney’s legal counsel.

Wasser, who has represented Britney through her separation and divorce from ex-husband Kevin Federline, made the announcement after yesterday’s hearing but refused to give an explanation for her decision. Wasser added that Britney will “be in excellent hands” under the counsel of Marci Levine and “I don’t want anyone to perceive that we’re dumping Britney. In a lot of attorney-client relationships, there comes a time when some fresh blood is necessary.”

Hours later, Britney’s manager Jeff Kwatinetz also announced that he and partners at The Firm agency had “terminated our professional relationship with Britney Spears.”

Kwatinetz had represented Britney’s interests for just one month but is said to have felt compelled to act after her lacklustre appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards last week. In his statement, he added: “We believe Britney is enormously talented, and has made a terrific record, but current circumstances have prevented us from properly doing our job.”