The Sun Newspaper - Thursday 6TH March 2003

RETURN OF LONDON'S BURNING STAR

COKE DEALER ALFORD BACK ON TV.. AS A COKE DEALER

Former London's Burning star John Alford - who served time for pushing cocaine - is making a TV comeback as a coke dealer.

The 29 - year - old actor will be seen on Sunday playing dodgy air steward Dean on Sky One's sexy airline show Mile High.

He plants £2,000 - worth of cocaine on a stewardess to smuggle the drugs through customs. It is Alford's first major TV part since he was jailed for nine months in 1999.

And a Mile High source said: "It is a funny role for John to be taking on for his fir time back on telly."

London's Burning bosses sacked Alford from his £120,000 - a - year role as fireman Billy Ray in the wake of the cocaine scandal.

At his first trial, the jury saw a film shot secretly as he supplied drugs to an undercover News of the World reporter posing as a sheikh.

Alford was freed from London's Pentonville Prison after just seven weeks into his sentence after he agreed to wear an electronic tag.

But he struggled to find new acting jobs. And at one time he was forced to take work as a scaffolder's mate. The show source said: "He's only in a couple of episodes but we're pleased to have him. He has a real baby face so in a way it's funny to see him play a baddie."

Viewers of the show, which follows the lives and loves of a randy cabin crew, will see dirty Dean stuffing airgirl pal Lehann's washbag with cocaine.

Then he watches her as she heads through customs unaware she is carrying the drugs.

But Lehann, played by ex - Corrie babe Naomi Ryan, 23, is stopped.

The trolley dolly gives Customs men a thrill when she gets her kit off to reveal cotton pads covering her sunburned boobs.

But they do not find Dean's secret stash.