Craig Guildford, the chief constable of West Midlands Police, has retired with immediate effect following a damning inquiry into the force's decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a Europa League match. The move came after the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said she had lost confidence in him.
An official report by Andy Cooke, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, found that "greatly exaggerated" intelligence was used to justify the ban. The force had advised Birmingham's safety advisory group that the Israeli club's supporters posed a danger during the match against Aston Villa on 6 November. Intelligence from Dutch police suggested Maccabi fans had been involved in violence in Amsterdam, but that claim was disputed by Dutch authorities.
Guildford, 52, initially resisted calls to resign, but faced mounting pressure from cabinet ministers and Downing Street. It also emerged that he would retire on a full pension after earning £220,000 a year. A senior policing source described him as a "dead man walking" after the report.
In a statement, Guildford said: 'I have come to the conclusion that the political and media frenzy around myself and my position has become detrimental to all the great work undertaken by my officers and staff.' He added that retirement was in the best interests of the organisation, himself and his family. Simon Foster, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, welcomed the decision, saying Guildford had 'acted with honour'.
Foster will now begin the search for a new chief constable. Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green will take over temporarily. The Home Secretary is expected to introduce legislation in a police reform white paper by 28 January that would give her the power to dismiss chief constables.
