Alford starred on the English children’s show “Grange Hill” before being convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls.

British actor John Alford, convicted sex offender, found dead in his cell at 54

Alford starred on the English children's show "Grange Hill" before being convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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March 16, 2026 8:06 a.m. ET

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John Alford outside St. Albans Magistrates' Court, Hertfordshire, in August 2025. Credit:

Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty

British actor John Alford has been found dead in his jail cell at 54 after being convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls.

A spokesperson for the HM Prison Bure in Norfolk, which he entered just two months ago, confirmed the passing of the actor born John Shannon in a statement shared with the BBC on Sunday.

"John Shannon died in prison on 13 March 2026. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate," the statement read. A cause of death has not yet been released.

John Alford's mugshot.

Hertfordshire Police

Alford stood trial in 2024 for the sexual assault of two girls aged 14 and 15. The actor was accused of purchasing a bottle of vodka for the girls after they had come back to a friend's home in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, from a night out at the pub in 2022.

He was found guilty on four counts of sexual activity with the 14-year-old girl and of sexual assault and assault by penetration on the 15-year-old girl. The St. Albans Crown Court handed down a sentence of eight-and-a-half years, which commenced in January.

Per BBC, Alford denied the charges, and shouted as the verdict was being read, "Wrong, I didn't do this!"

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The 2022 trial wasn't Alford's first time in court. The actor had previous convictions stretching back to the late 1990s that included drunk driving, disorderly behavior, and supply of drugs, which he claimed led to his blacklisting as an actor in his home country, according to *The Guardian*.

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Alford was best known for his work on British television. He appeared as a child on the sitcom *Now and Then *before landing a prominent role in the long-running children's series *Grange Hill*. He played the character Robbie Wright in a cast that also included Amma Asante and Tina Mahon.

He starred as a fireman on the drama series *London is Burning *from 1993 to 1997 and launched a short-lived music career, which produced several modest hits, like the 1996 song "Only You."

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