The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford, is expected to announce his retirement, following intense criticism of his force's decision to ban fans of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a match against Aston Villa.
Home Secretary Loses Confidence in Police Leadership
On Wednesday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood declared she had lost confidence in Chief Constable Craig Guildford's ability to lead the country's second-largest police force. She described the episode as a "failure of leadership" that had harmed the reputation of the police and eroded public trust.
Despite this powerful intervention from the government, the region's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Simon Foster, initially declined to dismiss Mr Guildford. The PCC, who holds the sole power to sack the chief constable, stated he would await a parliamentary report and question Mr Guildford at a public meeting scheduled for 27 January.
Watchdog Review Uncovers Critical Inaccuracies
The controversy stems from a decision by Birmingham's local Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to bar Maccabi supporters from the Europa Conference League match at Villa Park in late 2025, based on police advice citing safety concerns.
A subsequent review by His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Andy Cooke, identified eight serious inaccuracies in the police report presented to the SAG. These included:
- A reference to a non-existent match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham United, which was found to be an "AI hallucination" generated by Microsoft Copilot.
- An overstatement of the number of Dutch police officers deployed during a related match in the Netherlands.
- Unsubstantiated claims linking fans to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
- False reports that Muslim communities had been intentionally targeted by the Israeli club's supporters.
- Incorrect accounts of multiple Dutch police officers being injured.
Sir Andy's report concluded there was "no evidence" antisemitism influenced the decision but found a clear "imbalance" in the information used by the force.
Imminent Announcement and Consequences
Mr Foster is scheduled to address the media at 4pm on Friday 16 January 2026 outside police headquarters in Birmingham, where he is expected to confirm Mr Guildford's exit. The chief constable, who began his service in 1994 and took the top job in 2022, will be entitled to his full pension upon retirement.
The force has admitted "mistakes were made" regarding the ban. Mr Guildford has apologised for providing incorrect evidence to the Home Affairs Committee, insisting it was "never his intention" to mislead MPs and that the decision was not politically motivated.
This high-profile departure marks a significant moment for West Midlands Police, as it seeks to rebuild confidence after a scandal that has drawn national scrutiny and highlighted the risks of relying on unverified information in critical policing decisions.
