Reproduced from Scottish Daily Record 17 July, 1999

But he will be electronically tagged to make sure he keeps out of trouble.

A pale and tired-looking Alford, 27, was the first of a batch of 12 prisoners to be released from the back of Pentonville Prison, north London, at midday.

The grim-faced actor, wearing a white T-shirt, black tracksuit bottoms, trainers and carrying a see-through, prison service plastic bag containing his possessions, refused to comment and kept his head bowed as he hurried the few yards to a waiting car.

Alford has been freed as part of the Government's tagging scheme for prisoners coming to the end of their sentences, who are not considered a danger to the public.

Alford gave a defiant clenched-fist salute as he got into the back of an M-reg blue Mercedes containing three friends.

As the car sped away, Alford gave a thumbs-up gesture through the back window.

The girlfriend of a fellow jailbird released at the same time as Alford said: "He was treated just the same as the other prisoners.

"At the end of the day, he is still a con like the rest of them.

"He still got porridge and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast like the rest of them."

Alford's friends, who were drinking alcopops in the car, had been waiting since 7.30am.

Alford was jailed for nine months in May after being convicted of supplying cocaine and cannabis.

The star, who first found fame as a child actor in children's TV favourite Grange Hill, and who also enjoyed a brief career as a pop star, was sacked from his Łamp;80,000-a-year role as Billy Ray in the popular ITV drama series London's Burning following publicity about his drug dealing.