The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford, has retired amid intense scrutiny following criticism of a decision to prohibit Israeli fans from attending a match against Aston Villa.
Mr. Guildford’s retirement was confirmed on Friday, after Downing Street and the Home Secretary expressed a loss of confidence in his leadership earlier this week.
He faced mounting pressure to resign after issuing an apology for providing inaccurate evidence to Members of Parliament, including a denial regarding the use of artificial intelligence in a report that informed the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from the November 6th game.
In announcing his retirement, Mr. Guildford, 52, did not offer an explicit apology, but attributed his decision to what he described as a “political and media frenzy.”
“I have carefully considered my position and concluded that retirement is in the best interests of the organisation, myself and my family,” he stated.
“It has been the honour of my career serving as the chief constable of West Midlands Police.”
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster, in a statement to reporters, welcomed the decision, saying he 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.
Mr. Foster affirmed that the outcome was achieved “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 controversy arose following a preliminary review by the policing oversight body, which indicated that “confirmation bias” influenced the decision to exclude Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from Villa Park.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Andy Cooke, noted several “inaccuracies” in a report submitted to Birmingham’s safety advisory group by West Midlands Police, including a reference to a non-existent fixture between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham.
In testimony before MPs, Mr. Guildford initially suggested that the erroneous information had been found through a Google search or on social media. However, in a letter to the Home Affairs Committee (HAC) published on Wednesday, he clarified that it was the result of using Microsoft Copilot, an AI tool.
Sir Andy also stated that the force had “overstated” the extent to which disorder at a previous match in Amsterdam could be attributed to Maccabi fans.
Additional criticisms included exaggerating the number of Dutch police officers deployed during that fixture.
Furthermore, the force’s advice was found to have overstated the threat posed by Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters, while understating the risks to Israeli fans.
In response to the criticism, West Midlands Police expressed being “extremely sorry” for the errors, stating: “None of this was done with an intent of deliberate distortion or discrimination.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood commented that Mr. Guildford had done “the right thing” in retiring.
“The findings of the chief inspector were damning,” stated the Birmingham Ladywood MP. “They set out a catalogue of failings that have harmed trust in West Midlands Police.”
She thanked him for his years of service and acknowledged 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 Mr. 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 asserted.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has stated that it will continue to examine the force’s actions following Mr. Guildford’s retirement.
Director General Rachel Watson said the office had been reviewing a “wealth of evidence” and would assess whether 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.
Independent MP Ayoub Khan, whose Birmingham Perry Barr constituency includes Villa Park, where the match was to have been held, characterized Mr. Guildford’s retirement as marking a “dark and shameful chapter.”
When the decision to ban Maccabi fans was made in November, Mr. Khan supported proposals to either cancel or relocate the match.
He has also consistently called for the Chief Constable to remain in his position.
“We’ve all just witnessed one of the biggest injustices of our time,” he said.
“A chief constable has been sacrificed not for gross misconduct in public office but for doing his job.”
Echoing remarks he made in the Commons on Wednesday, he stated that Mr. Guildford was “thrown under the bus because he didn’t conform to political pressure.”
Mr. Guildford joined the police force as a constable in 1994 and had served as the head of West Midlands Police since 2022.
During his three years leading the force, he oversaw improvements in the handling of 999 calls and a 6% reduction in crime by October 2025.
Mr. Foster announced that Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green has been appointed as Acting Chief Constable as the force seeks to “rebuild trust and confidence” in the West Midlands.
The force confirmed that Mr. Green has appointed Jen Mattinson as Acting Deputy Chief Constable.
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