London’s Burning actor John Alford dies in prison aged 54

Alford, who also appeared in Grange Hill, was jailed for eight and a half years in January for sexually assaulting two girls An investigation has been launched into the death of the actor John Alford after he died in prison two months into a sentence for sexually assaulting two teenage girls. Alford, 54, was jailed for eight and a half years in January after he was found guilty of the assaults, which occurred during a party at a friend’s home. The actor, who appeared in the ITV drama London’s Burning and the BBC show Grange Hill, died at HMP Bure, Norfolk on Friday, the Prison Service said. The cause of his death has not been released. A Prison Service spokesperson said: “As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.” The investigation will examine whether anyone else was involved in the death. The current thinking is that no one was. Alford, who was tried under his real name, John Shannon, was convicted 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 at a property in Hertfordshire in 2022. Jurors heard during the trial that he had sexuall