West Midlands Police are facing renewed criticism following the findings of an official inquiry into the decision to recommend banning Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending a football match in Birmingham.
According to details reported by The Guardian, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) will criticize the force for a series of errors in how intelligence was gathered and presented to justify the ban on Israeli fans ahead of a scheduled match against Aston Villa.
The inquiry was ordered by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and conducted by the policing inspectorate. Its conclusions are expected to increase pressure on West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford, who previously told Members of Parliament that the force had acted appropriately.
The report by HMIC Chief Inspector Sir Andy Cooke is expected to state that West Midlands Police relied on flawed intelligence, including disputed claims about violent incidents involving Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters during a previous match in Amsterdam. Dutch police later contradicted several of the assertions cited by the Birmingham-based force, including claims regarding fans being thrown into a river.
The intelligence was included in a report submitted to a local safety advisory group, which ultimately decided to prohibit away supporters from attending the match. Dutch police told investigators that some of the key conclusions drawn by West Midlands Police did not align with their own assessment of events.
Separately, Chief Constable Guildford has apologized to MPs after acknowledging that incorrect information presented to Parliament had been generated using artificial intelligence. He told the Home Affairs Select Committee that a reference to a non-existent match involving Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham had been produced through the use of Microsoft Copilot.
Guildford had earlier denied that artificial intelligence was used, attributing the mistake to a single online search by an individual officer. In an email to the committee, he issued a “profound apology," stating that there was no intention to mislead MPs.
Home Secretary Mahmood is expected to present the HMIC findings to the House of Commons later Wednesday. While she has no direct authority to remove the chief constable, the report’s conclusions may influence further scrutiny of the force’s leadership.
A spokesperson for Amsterdam police confirmed to The Guardian that they had cooperated with the HMIC inquiry and expressed confidence that their input would be reflected in the final report.