TV ACTOR 'TRICKED INTO SUPPLYING DRUGS BY BOGUS ARAB PRINCE'

A former star of the television series London's Burning supplied cocaine and
cannabis to a bogus Middle Eastern prince, a court was told.

John Alford was so convinced by the flowing robes, accented English and
deferential entourage that he bowed to his royal acquaintance. But "Sheikh
Mohammad al-Kareem" was Mazher Mahmood, an undercover reporter with the News
of the World, Martin Hicks, prosecuting, told Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Lengthy video footage, secretly shot in a suite at London's Savoy Hotel,
showed the actor speaking at length about drugs. The actor lost his
UKP50,000-a-year job playing a fireman in the LWT series as a result of the
expose.

Alford, 27, of Hadley Wood, Herts, who is representing himself, denies one
charge of supplying 2.037 grams of cocaine and 11.9 grams of cannabis resin
to Mazher Mahmood in August 1997. Charged under his real name, John Shannon,
Alford also pleads not guilty to offering to supply a further delivery of
cocaine to Mr Mahmood.

Alford appeared to have a promising future until he fell for the elaborate
subterfuge, Mr Hicks said. The actor's downfall started with a call to his
agent about the possibility of him joining a celebrity line-up at a
nightclub "the sheikh" owned in Dubai. As a result Alford attended a meeting
at the Savoy Hotel, which was set up by the News of the World.

Days later he learnt that he had been fooled by the newspaper, which had
allegedly been tipped off by one of his showbusiness acquaintances that he
was supplying drugs at parties. The jury was shown a video of Alford being
whisked from his home to the Savoy, the warm handshakes on his arrival and
his bowing to the Arab prince.

During the conversation about the club, Alford was told he would be joined
at the opening by Sir Elton John and Sylvester Stallone. Finally the subject
of drugs was brought up. For several minutes Alford appeared to display an
in-depth knowledge about them, observing that cocaine which made your nose
run was "no good", but that "numb
gums" indicated acceptable quality.

Adding that he had given up cocaine two years previously, Alford mentioned
that he still "liked smoking grass". Then, on being asked if he could supply
cocaine, after some hesitation he agreed, saying: "OK, I will do it. No
problem," he said. "You have got to be so careful. If anyone gets hold of it
you are ruined, especially in my business."

The court heard that Alford agree to supply an ounce of cocaine for 60
guests attending a party the "sheik" was planning to throw the following
week. Borrowing his mobile phone, Alford called a dealer saying that he
wanted a couple of "tickets" - grams - of cocaine, adding that he did not
want any "toilet" - rubbish. Then, the court
heard, the actor was given UKP300 and driven to addresses in Islington and
St John's Wood to get both cannabis and the Class A drug.

In another video Alford was filmed returning with three wraps of cocaine and
a slab of cannabis resin which he tested by rolling a reefer for himself.

Alford accused Mr Mahmood of lying, saying the journalist had sold his soul
to the Devil. "A story about a celebrity drug user, tricked into
accommodating an Arab sheikh with drugs in order to get a job, is not
front-page news. If you gild the lily,create a few quotes, then you have an
expose," he said. "Don't let the facts spoil a good story. That is in fact
what happened."

Mr Mahmood denied the actor's accusation, defending his methods as
"legitimate subterfuge" within the Press Complaints Commission guidelines.
The actor, he said during further cross-examination, had offered him drugs
no fewer than 10 times. "I didn't destroy your life," Mr Mahmood told
Alford, "You destroyed your own life... . you could have said no."

The case continues.