Disgraced actor John Alford died in prison, two months after being jailed for sexually assaulting two teenage girls.
Alford, who starred in the British kids’ series Grange Hill and the firefighter drama London’s Burning, was found dead at HMP Bure in Norfolk, England, on March 13, a Prison Service spokesman confirmed to the BBC. He was 54.
“As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate,” the spokesperson added.
Alford, whose real name was John Shannon, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting the two teenagers, who were 15 and 14, per the BBC.
At his trial at St. Albans Crown Court last year, the jury heard how Alford bought a bottle of vodka for the two girls, which they drank at a friend’s house in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, before he sexually assaulted them in April 2022.
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John Alford arrives at his trial at St. Albans Crown Court on Aug. 26, 2025.Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty
During the trial, prosecutor Chris White also told the jury that Alford “was fully aware of the girls’ ages, yet he chose to exploit them — giving them alcohol and then committing sexual offences against them,” according to the BBC.
Alford denied the crimes, telling jurors that the allegations were a “setup” and that there was no DNA evidence to support the assault claims, per The Guardian.
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The disgraced actor was ultimately found guilty on four counts of sexual activity with the 14-year-old girl and charges of sexual assault and assault by penetration relating to the 15-year-old girl.
When the verdict was issued, Alford shouted, “Wrong, I didn’t do this!” per the BBC.
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John Alford in ‘London’s Burning’ (1993).Press Association via AP
He began his prison sentence on Jan. 14, and Recorder Caroline Overton said at the time that his offences had a “significant and ongoing impact” on his victims’ lives.
Alford was previously convicted in 1999 of supplying cocaine and cannabis to an undercover News of the World journalist conducting a sting, per the BBC. He was jailed for nine months that same year, resulting in his firing from London’s Burning, an ITV drama that he joined in 1993 for its sixth season.
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John Alford in ‘London’s Burning’ on ITV.ITV/courtesy Everett
Alford began his television career as a child actor in the ITV sitcom Now and Then, before landing a breakout role in Grange Hill in 1985. His other acting credits include The Bill, Casualty and Provoked.
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