by Charles Hymas, Telegraph
West Midlands Police staff accused of fabricating and exaggerating evidence to justify ban on Israeli fans
A former chief constable of West Midlands Police is being investigated for gross misconduct over his role in banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an Aston Villa match.
Craig Guildford is being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), alongside three officers and a staff member.
Mr Guildford stepped down from his post in England’s second-biggest police force after an official inquiry found that “greatly exaggerated” intelligence had been used to justify the ban on the Israeli team’s fans on safety grounds.
The IOPC said on Wednesday that he would be investigated for gross misconduct over claims that he failed to ensure due diligence in the intelligence report before the Europa League game at Villa Park in Birmingham.
Eight errors were found in the report, including overstating Maccabi supporters’ role in disorder in Amsterdam in 2024, and referencing a non-existent game between Maccabi and West Ham, said to have been produced by Microsoft’s AI Copilot.