Actor John Alford, best known for his roles in London's Burning and Grange Hill, 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. A spokesperson said that, as with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate. The cause of death has not been released, but it is currently believed no one else was involved.
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 in Hertfordshire in 2022, where he bought alcohol for the victims and assaulted them while they were drunk.
During the trial at St Albans Crown Court, the 15-year-old victim said 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 a lack of DNA evidence.
Alford had previous convictions dating back to 1999, including for drug supply, disorderly behaviour, and drink driving. He claimed the drug conviction led to him being 'blacklisted' as an actor. Born in Glasgow, he spent much of his childhood in London and rose to fame as firefighter Billy Ray in London's Burning, appearing for six series from 1992.
