John Alford, the British actor best known for his roles in the television dramas ‘Grange Hill’ and ‘London’s Burning’, has died in prison at the age of 54.
A spokesperson for the UK Prison Service confirmed that Alford, who later used his birth name John Shannon, died on March 13 while in custody. “As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate,” the spokesperson said in a statement to the BBC.
Alford had been sentenced in January to eight and a half years in prison after being convicted of sexual offences involving two teenage girls. The charges included four counts of sexual activity with a 14 year old and offences of sexual assault and assault by penetration relating to a 15 year old. The incidents occurred in Hertfordshire in 2022 and he stood trial at St Albans Crown Court in September.
The actor’s legal troubles had stretched back decades. In 1999, he was convicted of supplying drugs following an undercover operation by the now defunct tabloid News of the World and its reporter Mazher Mahmood. He served nine months in prison for that offence.
Alford also faced further convictions in later years. In 2006, he was found guilty of drink driving after a car crash and in 2018 he pleaded guilty to two counts of resisting a police officer, for which he received a community order.
He first rose to prominence as Robbie Wright in the long running BBC children’s series Grange Hill, which aired from 1978 to 2008. He later gained wider recognition as firefighter Billy “Junfan” Ray in ITV’s drama London’s Burning, appearing in the series for five years before being dismissed following his 1999 conviction.
After his departure from mainstream television, Alford’s acting work became sporadic. He appeared in small roles in films such as ‘Mike Bassett: England Manager’ and ‘The Hatton Garden Job’. In 2006 he also featured in the reality programme ‘Trust Me – I’m a Beauty Therapist’ on Channel 5.
An investigation into the circumstances of his death will be carried out by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, as is standard procedure in cases of deaths in custody in the UK.
