Former London's Burning and Grange Hill actor John Alford has died in prison at the age of 54, 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.
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 offences occurred at a party at a friend's home in Hertfordshire in 2022.
During the trial at St Albans Crown Court, jurors heard that Alford had bought £250 worth of food, alcohol and cigarettes, including a bottle of vodka, which the victims drank. He then had sex with the 14-year-old in the garden and later in a downstairs toilet, and inappropriately touched the 15-year-old as she lay half-asleep on a sofa.
The 15-year-old girl said in evidence that she felt 'absolutely sick' after the assault and had a 'mental breakdown' before reporting it. Alford denied the allegations, calling them 'scandalous' and a 'setup', and claimed there was no DNA evidence.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.' The investigation will examine whether anyone else was involved, though current thinking suggests no one else was.
Alford had previous convictions dating back to 1999, including for drug supply, disorderly behaviour, and drink driving. He was best known for playing firefighter Billy Ray in London's Burning from 1992 to 1998, and Robbie Wright in Grange Hill from 1985 to 1989.
