Grange Hill and London's Burning actor John Alford charged with child sex offences after arrest

The 52-year-old actor, who as charged under his real name John Shannon, was arrested in early 2024 accused of child sex offences. He faces six charges in total - including four allegations of sexual activity with a child, one charge of sexual assault and another of sexual assault by penetration.

Alford, who was born in Glasgow, rose to fame on TV screens at the age of 13, after he landed the role of Robbie Wright in the school drama Grange Hill in 1985. He would then go on to appear in the hit 1990s ITV drama London’s Burning as Billy Ray from 1993 until 1998.

According to The Sun, Alford previously spoke about the struggles he encountered with his early fame, saying that he drank” up to 18 bottles of beer and nine shots of spirit a night” as a way of dealing with the anxiety. He added: “When I got ill, I went to see somebody. They looked at my liver and told me to stop, which my mum had been telling me for years.”

Alford is set to face trial at St Albans Crown Court on December 2. A pre-trial review will take place in November.