Police chief retires over Israeli fans ban row

The chief constable of West Midlands Police has retired after damning criticism of a decision to ban Israeli fans from a match against Aston Villa.

Craig Guildford's retirement was confirmed on Friday after both Downing Street and the home secretary said they had lost confidence in his leadership.

He faced numerous calls to resign after apologising for providing incorrect evidence to MPs, which included the denial that AI was used in a report which led to the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the game on 6 November.

Announcing his retirement, Guildford, 52, did not offer an apology and blamed what he described as the "political and media frenzy" for his decision to step down.

"I have carefully considered my position and concluded that retirement is in the best interests of the organisation, myself and my family," he said.

"It has been the honour of my career serving as the chief constable of West Midlands Police."

In a statement to reporters, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster said he welcomed the decision and was "pleased this outcome had been reached".

"That has prevented what might otherwise have been a complex procedure that would have caused significant distraction, impact and cost to West Midlands Police and the wider West Midlands," he added.

Foster said he was pleased the outcome was reached "having regard to due process and the law".

"It was important this matter was resolved in a balanced, calm, fair, measured and respectful manner."

The backlash came after a preliminary review by the policing watchdog found "confirmation bias" influenced the decision to bar supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending Villa Park.

His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Andy Cooke said several "inaccuracies" had been included in a report given to Birmingham's safety advisory group by West Midlands Police, including reference to a non-existent fixture between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham.

In evidence to MPs, Guildford initially suggested the erroneous information had been identified in a Google search or through social media, but in a letter to the Home Affairs Committee (HAC) published on Wednesday he said it was the result of using Microsoft Copilot, an AI tool.

Sir Andy said the force had also "overstated" the extent to which disorder at a previous match in Amsterdam was attributable to Maccabi fans.

Other criticisms included exaggerating the number of Dutch police officers deployed during that fixture.

He also found the force in its advice had overstated the threat posed by the Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters, while understating the risks posed to the Israeli fans.

In its response to the criticism, West Midlands Police said it was "extremely sorry" for the errors, adding: "None of this was done with an intent of deliberate distortion or discrimination."

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Guildford had done "the right thing" in retiring.

"The findings of the chief inspector were damning," the Birmingham Ladywood MP said. "They set out a catalogue of failings that have harmed trust in West Midlands Police."

She thanked him for his years of service and paid tribute to the work of officers at the force who "keep their community safe every day".

"Today marks a crucial first step to rebuilding trust and confidence in the force amongst all the communities they serve," she added.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism has also called for Foster to resign.

In a statement, chief executive Gideon Falter accused West Midlands Police of having "lied and obfuscated, victim-blaming Jews instead of taking on the Islamists".

"His retirement, after the pitiful failure of West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster to sack him, should result in the resignation of Mr Foster as well," he said.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it would continue to look into the force's actions following Guildford's retirement.

Director general Rachel Watson said it had been examining a "wealth of evidence" and would assess whether any independent conduct investigations should be carried out.

"If that is the case, we've said we are prepared to use our powers of initiative to independently investigate in the absence of formal referrals," she added.

'Sacrificed for doing his job'

Independent MP Ayoub Khan, whose Birmingham Perry Barr constituency includes Villa Park, where the match took place, said Guildford's retirement marked a "dark and shameful chapter".

When the decision to ban Maccabi fans was taken in November, Khan backed plans to either cancel or relocate the match.

He has also repeatedly called for the chief constable to remain in post.

"We've all just witnessed one of the biggest injustices of our time," he added.

"A chief constable has been sacrificed not for gross misconduct in public office but for doing his job."

Repeating remarks he made in the Commons on Wednesday, he said Guildford was "thrown under the bus because he didn't conform to political pressure".

Guildford first became a police constable in 1994 and has served as the head of West Midlands Police since 2022.

He had many successes in his three years heading the force, which included improving the handling of 999 calls and and recording a 6% fall in crime by October 2025.

Foster said deputy chief constable Scott Green has been appointed acting chief constable as the force sought to "rebuild trust and confidence" in the West Midlands.

Green has appointed Jen Mattinson as acting deputy chief constable, the force confirmed.