London’s Burning star John Alford is found dead in jail weeks after he was imprisoned for sexually abusing two young girls
London’s Burning star John Alford was found dead in prison, weeks after he was sent to prison for sexually assaulting two teenage girls.
Alford, 54, was found unresponsive in his bed when staff opened his cell door on Friday, a source told The Sun on Sunday.
The former Grange Hill actor was jailed for eight-and-a-half years for having sex with a drunken 14-year-old boy and sexually assaulting his 15-year-old friend at a house party in January.
Alford had stayed with his two teenage victims in the early morning hours after the others in the house had gone to bed.
He had sex with the young girl, who asked her to sit on his lap while he smoked, in the garden and later in the toilet.
Father-of-two sexually assaulted the older girl as she sat between two “napping” victims at the home in Alford, Hertfordshire.
He denied the charges and claimed he was the victim of a blackmail scheme after someone called him and tried to ‘extort money from me’.
Alford, whose real name is John Shannon, appeared in the BBC school drama Grange Hill in the 1980s and played Billy Ray in London’s Burning from 1993 to 1998.
John Alford played firefighter Billy Ray in the 1990s ITV drama London’s Burning.
He was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for sexual offenses in January. Image: Alford’s custody photo
But the jury at St Albans Crown Court convicted him of all six charges he faced by a 10-2 majority following his trial.
Alford had previously been convicted of supplying drugs in a tabloid case and had recently been working as a taxi driver and scaffolder.
Recorder Caroline Overton, who was sentenced in January, said Alford was ‘the only remaining adult’ at the party.
He added: ‘You were a trusted family friend and were fully aware that the girls were aged 14 and 15.’
A Prison Service spokesman told the Daily Mail: ‘John Shannon died in prison on 13 March 2026.
‘As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.’
This is breaking news. More to follow.
