Grange Hill actor John Alford charged with child sex offences

Grange Hill actor John Alford has been charged with six child sex offences. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

The actor, whose real name is John Shannon, joined the cast of Grange Hill in 1985 at the age of 11, taking on the role of Robbie Wright. He appeared in 113 episodes over five series.

He went on to appear in a number of TV dramas, including London’s Burning, Mile High and The Bill. In the 1990s, he also delved into the music industry, with three of his singles reaching the charts.

As reported by Metro.co.uk, Hertfordshire police confirmed that Alford was charged on July 16, 2023, with the following offences: Two counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16, two counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16, assaulting a female 13 and over by penetration with part of a body/a thing and sexual assault on a female.

The charges came following an investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary’s specialist Sexual Offences Investigation Team into a report of sexual offences that were allegedly committed in April, 2022.

London's Burning and Grange Hill actor John Alford to stand trial accused of sexual offenceshttps://t.co/Yrm59faq2Y

— ITV News (@itvnews) July 18, 2024

Alford pleaded not guilty to all of the charges at St Albans Crown Court on September 26, 2023. He is due to return to the court for trial on December 2, and the proceedings are scheduled to last for seven days.

Back in February this year, fellow Grange Hill star Stuart Organ passed away at the age of 72.

The British actor was the longest-serving cast member on the children’s TV drama, playing Mr Robson. His death was announced on February 23 by the show’s official X account, which stated that Organ “died peacefully at home after a short illness”.

The actor, who started his career in Leeds in 1975, also appeared in Doctor Who and the soap Brookside.

Some of his other credits include Casualty, The Bill and Holby City, as well as films such as Those Glory Glory Days and Fork In The Road.

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