Disgraced actor John Alford found dead two months into prison sentence

Disgraced British actor John Alford has died in custody just two months after beginning a prison sentence for sexually assaulting two teenage girls.

Alford, best known for his roles in the children’s television series Grange Hill and the firefighter drama London’s Burning, was found dead on March 13 at HMP Bure, a prison in Norfolk, England. He was 54.

A spokesperson for the UK Prison Service confirmed the death to the BBC, stating that standard procedures would follow.

“As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate,” the spokesperson said.

Alford, whose real name was John Shannon, had been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting two girls aged 15 and 14.

During his trial at St Albans Crown Court, jurors heard that he bought a bottle of vodka for the teenagers, which they consumed at a friend’s home in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, before the assaults occurred in April 2022.

Prosecutor Chris White told the court that the actor knowingly targeted the underage girls.

“He was fully aware of the girls’ ages, yet he chose to exploit them — giving them alcohol and then committing sexual offences against them,” the prosecutor said, according to reports.

Alford denied the allegations throughout the trial, describing them as a “setup” and arguing that there was no DNA evidence linking him to the offences, according to The Guardian.

However, the jury found him guilty on multiple counts, including four counts of sexual activity with the 14-year-old girl, as well as sexual assault and assault by penetration involving the 15-year-old victim.

He began serving his sentence on January 14.

Sentencing judge Recorder Caroline Overton said at the time that the offences had caused a “significant and ongoing impact” on the victims’ lives.

Alford’s career had previously been derailed by a criminal conviction in 1999, when he was jailed for nine months after supplying cocaine and cannabis to an undercover journalist from the now-defunct News of the World during a sting operation.

That conviction led to his dismissal from London’s Burning, where he had appeared since 1993.

Authorities have not disclosed the cause of death. Under UK procedures, all deaths in custody are subject to independent investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.

Alford rose to prominence in the 1990s as a teen actor but saw his public image collapse following successive criminal convictions. His death closes a controversial chapter marked by legal battles and the serious offences that ultimately led to his imprisonment.