A SCHOOLGIRL said she “felt absolutely sick” after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by London’s Burning star John Alford.
Alford, who also appeared on Grange Hill, has been accused of targeting two girls aged under 16 while at a party.
John Alford is accused of sexual offences against schoolgirls[/caption]
The 53-year-old – real name John Shannon – allegedly had sex with one of the girls when she was aged 14 in a garden and a toilet.
Jurors heard he also performed a sex act on another teen – then aged 15 – and was “in no doubt” both girls, who did not previously know him, were underage.
All of the offences allegedly took place at the home of a third girl, who was friends with the girls, St Albans Crown Court heard.
The 15-year-old told police Alford allegedly touched her while she was “dozing off” after the actor bought both girls alcohol.
Asked how she felt after the assault, the girl said: “Sick. I felt absolutely sick. I wasn’t going to tell anyone.”
The teen said she immediately showered after being dropped off at the other complainant’s house the following morning as she was “stressing out”.
Both girls then went into the bathroom together and “spoke about everything that happened”, jurors were told.
They did not say anything about the alleged assaults immediately as they had been drinking “a fair amount of vodka”, it was said.
But on April 11 while at another friend’s home, the 15-year-old said she decided to speak up.
She added: “I had a mental breakdown to my best mate’s mum in the garden, and she called my mum.
“(I was) crying, screaming, very sad.”
Jurors heard the alleged incidents took place on April 9, 2022.
Both girls had gone to a friend’s home following a trip to the pub where a “bit of a party” was taking place, it was said.
Dad-of-two Alford had also been at the pub with the father of the third girl whose house it was.
The court heard he left the property and went to a nearby petrol station, coming back with a bottle of vodka, cigarettes and food.
Alford then asked the younger girl to sit on his lap in the garden, jurors were told.
Alford then allegedly started to kiss and touch her before having sexual intercourse with her.
Later in the evening, he had sex with the girl for a second time in a downstairs toilet after pulling her onto him, the court heard.
He asked her “do you want this babe?” and she allegedly told him “no”.
Giving evidence, she said: “Most children, if an adult is telling you to do something, you’ll do it … especially if you are drunk or impaired.”
The court was told Alford claims no sexual activity took place and that he told one of the girls “no”.
In a statement provided to police, he said one of the two girls “kept on trying to kiss me” and had told him she was 17-years-old.
He added: “At no point did I touch her in any sexual way whatsoever.”
Alford also claimed the two girls were “trying to extort money from him and they were trying to trick him”.
The Glasgow-born actor first shot to fame as a teenager when he landed the role of Robbie Wright on Grange Hill.
He played the role in the seminal BBC show for five years alongside Simone Hyams and George Christopher and took part in the anti-drugs single Just Say No.
Between 1993 and 1998, Alford appeared in long-running drama London’s Burning as Billy Ray.
He later had a role in film Mike Bassett: England Manager, Casualty and Brit flick The Hatton Garden Job.
Alford also enjoyed a short-lived pop career – with three singles reaching the UK Top 30.