The chief constable of the West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford, announced he would retire from his position on 16 January 2026. This was after he received criticism for banning Israeli football supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv from a match against Aston Villa. This is after an official enquiry found that ‘greatly exaggerated’ intelligence was used to justify a ban on fans of an Israeli football team attending the match. 

Shortly after the inquiry was released, the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, declared that she had lost confidence in him, and stated that she would have fired him if she had the authority to do so. This comment has come following the government’s plan to grant ministers new power that gives them the authority to dismiss police chiefs they deem to be performing poorly. In a similar statement, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has also described the decision as a ‘stain on his character’. 

The Former West Midlands Police chief admitted early this month that the evidence that he presented to Parliament when attempting to justify the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the match was provided by Microsoft Copilot AI. Sir Andy Cooke, the chief inspector of constabulary and the former chief constable of Merseyside, concluded that the West Midlands Police Force became convinced that a ban on the fans was necessary. And then, through ‘confirmation bias’ sought out the evidence to justify this conclusion, often getting the evidence wrong.

The day prior to this match, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were seen causing unrest, ripping down a Palestinian flag, burnt it, vandalised a taxi and were accused of chanting racist slogans against Arabs

The reason for this ban is not believed to be due to antisemitism, malice or political pressure. Instead, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) concluded that it was due to concerns for the Israeli fans’ safety. The force focused primarily on concerns by those who believed Maccabi Tel Aviv should not be playing in Birmingham due to Israel’s war in Gaza. 

The West Midlands police had repeatedly mentioned the unrest that occurred in November 2024 at an Ajax vs Maccabi Tel Aviv match in Amsterdam. The West Midlands police spoke to the Dutch police who had dealt with targeted violence against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans back in November 2024. 

The day prior to this match, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were seen causing unrest, ripping down a Palestinian flag, burnt it, vandalised a taxi and were accused of chanting racist slogans against Arabs. The following day, the fans were violently attacked. Police say the violence involved men on scooters carrying out ‘hit and run; attacks which were difficult to prevent. Five people were hospitalised and 20 to 30 slightly injured.

Subsequently, the West Midlands police used the conclusion made by the Dutch police that defined the Maccabi fans as the perpetrators of the unrest to justify the ban.

In December 2025, Mike O’Hara told MPs that the Jewish community in Birmingham also backed the banning of the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans

However, it has been made clear that the evidence that West Midlands police used to justify the ban had incorrectly reported what the Dutch authorities had told them. They told the safety advisory group that the Dutch police required 5000 offers to handle the unrest at the Amsterdam match. However, HMIC has said that the West Midlands police’s own records state that the Dutch police told them that they needed 2000.

Another example is that the West Midlands police reportedly overstated incidents of Palestinian flags being torn down and set on fire in Amsterdam. Additionally, an incident they reported as Israeli fans throwing Muslims into the water was in actual fact an Israeli fan being thrown instead, a fact that HMIC says British police knew about after having read official Dutch reports. The Dutch police also publicly disputed the accuracy of how their Birmingham counterparts used the information.

What started as a decision framed around public safety unravelled into a controversial case about confirmation bias and the dangers of artificial intelligence

Through this distortion of events, Cooke said this gave the safety advisory group members ‘little or no option’ but to ban Maccabi fans as the only way ‘to protect the public’. In December 2025, Mike O’Hara told MPs that the Jewish community in Birmingham also backed the banning of the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. But, it’s been revealed by Sky News that the Jewish community expressed concern that banning the fans could be seen as antisemitic rather than a decision made in the interest of public safety. 

Mr Guildford did later apologise, writing to MPs to say: ‘There was never any intention to mislead whatsoever.’ Still, with mounting criticism and pressure to resign from ministers and local authorities, Guildford was forced to retire. 

Ultimately, Guildford’s resignation closes a chapter defined less by intent than by consequence. What started as a decision framed around public safety unravelled into a controversial case about confirmation bias and the dangers of artificial intelligence. This case is a defining moment for the West Midlands Police, with ministers being granted more power over their senior officials and public speculation following their misuse of information. 

---

Looking for more? Check out these articles:

Away Fan Ban Sparks Protests at Villa Park Europa League Clash

Pioneering Autism Study To Use At-Home Robots: Families Needed

upReach Celebrates Outstanding Achievements in Higher Education for Eighth Year in a Row