A court has been told that former Grange Hill star John Alford sexually assaulted an underage girl, and engaged in sexual activity with another.
The actor, who also starred in London’s Burning, is said to have had sex with one girl in a garden and toilet, and have performed a sexual act on another.
Prosecutor Julie Whitby said as she opened the case that Alford ‘was in no doubt both the girls were under 16’.
He denies six charges, which include two of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 16, and two of engaging in penetrative activity also with a girl under 16.
Alford, who is 53, has also been accused of assaulting a female aged 13.
While in the dock, the actor wore a white shirt and suit trousers and showed no emotion.
His charges relate to alleged incidents in the early hours of April 9, 2022. Ms Whitby told the jury the defendant claims that no sexual activity took place.
She said that Alford would claim he told one girl ‘no’ and pointed out that he had children her age.
His statement to the police read: ‘At no point did I touch her in any sexual way at all.’
Alford also told police officers that he believes his drinks were spiked, and claimed the girls had discussed taking a photograph of him to sell to the media.
Alford was arrested two days after the alleged assaults in Hertfordshire.
The trial, scheduled for 5 days, was due to begin in December, but got postponed due to Alford collapsing. The charges came after an investigation by Hertfordshire’s specialist Sexual Offences Investigation Team.
John Alford was cast as Robbie Wright in Grange Hill in 1985.
From 1993, he played a fireman called Billy Ray in ITV’s London’s Burning. He has also had roles in Casualty, and the 2017 movie The Hatton Garden Job.
Alford quit acting for a brief period. He became a scaffolder and minicab driver but ultimately returned to the industry in 2000.
