John Alford, the actor best known for playing firefighter Billy Ray in the ITV drama London’s Burning, has died in prison at the age of 54. He was serving an eight-and-a-half-year sentence for sexually assaulting two teenage girls.
Alford, whose real name was John Shannon, died at HMP Bure in Norfolk on Friday. The Prison Service confirmed his death and said the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman would investigate, as is standard for all deaths in custody. The cause of death has not been released.
He 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 took place at a property in Hertfordshire in 2022 after a night out at a pub. The court heard that Alford bought vodka and other items from a petrol station, and the victims became drunk.
Alford, from Holloway, north London, had previous convictions dating back to 1999, including for supply of drugs, drink driving, and criminal damage. He claimed his drug conviction led to being blacklisted as an actor. He also appeared in Grange Hill as Robbie Wright from 1985 to 1989.
