The 54-year-old performer, who first became known to viewers through the popular UK dramas Grange Hill and London’s Burning, was discovered unresponsive inside his cell at His Majesty’s Prison Bure near Norwich on Friday, March 13.
Alford had begun serving an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence at the Category C facility after his conviction earlier this year.
The discovery of his death has now triggered a formal investigation, which is standard procedure in situations involving deaths inside prison custody.
Officials say the investigation will aim to determine what happened in the hours leading up to the discovery.
Actor Found Unresponsive In Prison Cell
Alford, whose legal name was John Shannon, was discovered lying in his bed during routine morning checks carried out by prison staff.
“John Shannon died in prison on 13 March 2026,” a prison spokesperson said in an official statement. “As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”
Reports suggest that officers initially believed he was simply asleep before realizing something was wrong when he failed to respond.
The exact cause of death has not been confirmed at this stage.
Officials have stated that more information may become available once the investigation process is completed.
Jailed Earlier This Year For Offences Involving Teenage Girls
Alford had been sentenced in January at St Albans Crown Court to eight years and six months in prison after being convicted of offences involving two girls aged 14 and 15.
Prosecutors said the incidents took place in April 2022 after the teenagers had been drinking during a night out.
They later ended up at a property in Hertfordshire where Alford was staying with a friend.
During the trial, jurors were told that the actor purchased £250 ($330) worth of food, alcohol, and cigarettes from a nearby petrol station.
The purchase reportedly included a bottle of vodka that the girls later consumed.
The court also heard that he inappropriately touched the 15-year-old while she was half asleep in the living room.
Police were alerted to the allegations after the mother of the 15-year-old made a third-party report two days later.
During the trial, the girl told the court that she felt “absolutely sick” after the assault.
She had originally planned to keep the incident secret before later suffering what she described as a “mental breakdown” and confiding in a friend’s mother on April 11.
Despite the jury finding him guilty, the actor continued to deny wrongdoing.
He insisted the verdict was incorrect and claimed the accusations against him were “scandalous” and part of a “setup”.
He appeared on the show from 1985 until 1989.
He also took part in the cast’s anti-drug charity single titled Just Say No.
Later, he found renewed fame during the 1990s when he joined the ITV drama London’s Burning as firefighter Billy Ray.
He joined the series in 1992 and appeared for six seasons.
In 1999 he was removed from London’s Burning after being convicted of supplying cocaine and cannabis.
That conviction led to a nine-month prison sentence, although he served only six weeks behind bars.
Court records later revealed additional convictions over the years, including offences such as disorderly behavior, drink driving, criminal damage, and obstructing police officers.
Alford had previously claimed that the drug conviction caused him to be “blacklisted” within the acting industry.
In 2018 he faced further legal trouble when he was charged with resisting a police officer.
Those incidents added to the long list of issues that had affected his public reputation over the years.
