Former London's Burning actor John Alford, 54, has died in prison two months into an eight-and-a-half-year sentence for sexually assaulting two teenage girls. The Prison Service confirmed his death at HMP Bure in Norfolk on Friday, with an investigation launched by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
Alford, whose real name was John Shannon, was convicted in January of four counts of sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl and charges of sexual assault and assault by penetration relating to a 15-year-old girl. The assaults occurred at a property in Hertfordshire in 2022 after he bought alcohol for the victims, including a bottle of vodka.
During the trial at St Albans Crown Court, jurors heard that Alford had sex with the 14-year-old in the garden and a downstairs toilet, and inappropriately touched the 15-year-old as she lay half-asleep on a sofa. The 15-year-old said she felt 'absolutely sick' and had a 'mental breakdown' before reporting the incident.
Alford denied the allegations, calling them 'scandalous' and a 'setup', and claimed there was no DNA evidence. He had previous convictions dating back to 1999, including for drug supply, which he said led to him being 'blacklisted' as an actor.
Best known for playing firefighter Billy Ray in London's Burning from 1992 to 1998, Alford also appeared as Robbie Wright in Grange Hill from 1985 to 1989. The cause of his death has not been released, and the ombudsman will investigate.
