The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, Craig Guildford, has retired with immediate effect following intense criticism over his force's role in banning fans of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv from a match at Aston Villa.
A Decision Forced by "Political and Media Frenzy"
Craig Guildford, 52, announced his departure on Friday, 16 January 2026, citing a detrimental "political and media frenzy" surrounding his position. He stepped down voluntarily amid mounting pressure for him to be dismissed. In a statement, Guildford said the controversy had overshadowed the work of his officers and staff in serving West Midlands communities.
The decision was confirmed by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, who held the power to sack the chief constable. Mr Foster stated he was "pleased" with the outcome, which avoided a "complex procedure" that would have been a significant distraction for the force. He acknowledged that Guildford had "acted with honour".
Damning Watchdog Review Uncovers Critical Failures
The retirement follows a scathing review ordered by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. The report, by chief inspector of constabulary Sir Andy Cooke, found eight serious inaccuracies in the police advice that led to the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) barring Maccabi fans from the Villa Park match in November.
The review highlighted a critical "failure of leadership" and "confirmation bias" within the force. Among the most glaring errors was a reference to a non-existent match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham, which was found to be an "AI hallucination" generated by the Microsoft Copilot tool. Other inaccuracies included overstating police deployments and making unfounded claims linking fans to the Israeli Defence Forces.
Home Secretary Mahmood described the findings as "devastating," stating they let down the entire Jewish community. She said Guildford had "done the right thing" by stepping down.
Fallout and Calls for Further Accountability
The controversy has triggered calls for wider accountability. The Campaign Against Antisemitism demanded the resignation of Police Commissioner Simon Foster for failing to dismiss Guildford. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp labelled Foster "too weak to act" and argued that Guildford's retirement was "simply not good enough," calling for a gross misconduct investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green has been appointed as the Acting Chief Constable as the force seeks to rebuild public trust. Sir Andy Cooke's review concluded there was no evidence antisemitism motivated the ban, but identified a clear "imbalance" in the information used to make the decision.
Guildford, who began his policing career in 1994 and led the West Midlands force since 2022, is entitled to his full pension. Commissioner Foster declined to answer questions on whether he should have sacked the chief constable or if the retirement provided proper public accountability.
