The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford, is to retire with immediate effect following a fierce controversy over his force's handling of a ban on Israeli football supporters. The Guardian understands his departure comes after an official inquiry condemned the police for using "exaggerated and untrue" intelligence.
A Damning Report and Mounting Pressure
Craig Guildford's exit is set to be formally announced at 4pm on Friday by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster. The decision follows intense pressure, including a vote of no confidence from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, after the basis for the force's claims unravelled.
An investigation by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, led by Sir Andy Cooke, delivered a "devastating" assessment of the force's actions. The report centred on West Midlands Police's advice to a safety committee ahead of a planned Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in November 2025.
The Flawed Intelligence Behind the Ban
The force justified recommending a ban on Maccabi fans by citing intelligence from Dutch police about fan behaviour at a match against Ajax in Amsterdam in November 2024. However, the inspectorate found this summary was gravely inaccurate.
Home Secretary Mahmood detailed the failures, stating: "Claims, including the number of police officers deployed, links between fans and the Israel Defense Forces, the targeting of Muslim communities... were all either exaggerated or simply untrue."
In one stark example, the safety group was told Maccabi fans threw Muslims into a river. In reality, official Dutch reports stated an Israeli fan had been thrown into the water, a fact known to the English police.
Guildford, 52, who has served for 32 years, testified twice before the Home Affairs Committee. During these appearances, he admitted that part of a police dossier erroneously referenced a non-existent match between Maccabi and West Ham, information gathered incorrectly using artificial intelligence.
Fallout and National Reputation
The scandal led to accusations that the ban amounted to caving in to antisemitism. Mahmood stated the report showed police "overstated the threat posed by the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, while understating the risk that was posed to the Israeli fans" amid intelligence some in Birmingham were preparing to arm themselves.
The fallout was severe. Fellow chief constables believed Guildford's position was untenable and that by clinging to his £220,000-a-year role, he was damaging the national reputation of policing. Despite earlier praise from Commissioner Foster for boosting crime-fighting, Guildford ultimately concluded the relentless criticism was an unsustainable distraction.
He had intended to face a public questioning session scheduled for 27 January but chose to retire on Friday, entitling him to his full pension. Simon Foster must now begin the search for a new chief constable to lead the Birmingham-headquartered force.
