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West Midlands Police has acknowledged that it exaggerated the evidence behind the decision to prohibit Israeli supporters from attending a football match in Birmingham. This admission comes after Craig Guildford, the force’s former chief constable, retired earlier this month amid harsh criticism related to the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans during last November’s Europa League game against Aston Villa.
Newly published documents reveal that the police force admitted to insufficient early engagement with the local Jewish community regarding the issue. Additionally, it emerged that the evidence used to support the ban included details from a match that never took place, leading to a subsequent prohibition on the use of artificial intelligence tools in gathering evidence. The policing operation, had the 2,500 visitors been allowed, was projected to last four days, involve multiple police forces, and cost over £5 million.
These findings were disclosed ahead of a public session called by Simon Foster, the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, who plans to review the decision during his accountability and governance board meeting. The documents, prepared by the police leadership team, detail the timeline and decision-making process that led the Safety Advisory Group (SAG)—which also includes representatives from Birmingham City Council—to ban the Israeli fans. Initially, plans were in place to accommodate Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters at the fixture, but the police later conceded that they should have consulted law enforcement agencies in other countries with prior experience of hosting Maccabi games. They also acknowledged that communications with the Dutch police were not properly documented.
One significant factor contributing to Guildford’s resignation was the discovery of erroneous information within a key report to SAG. This report referenced a fictional game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham, an error traced back to the use of the AI tool Microsoft Copilot during evidence collection. In a letter to the Home Affairs Committee, Guildford took responsibility for this mistake. The force has since launched a review of AI usage policies and has temporarily disabled access to Microsoft Copilot on its systems as part of a wider operational review.
Regarding the chain of communication with the government, West Midlands Police stated that Guildford briefed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood before the match, indicating that a ban on Maccabi fans was a possibility, though the final call rested with SAG. Contrasting accounts came from Home Office officials who claimed they were only informed that “all options were on the table” as late as mid-October. However, evidence from the police suggests that Mahmood was already briefed by early October and that a ban was the working assumption subject to SAG’s endorsement. In parliament, Mahmood confirmed she was informed that the ban was among the options being considered but emphasized that she did not attempt to influence the decision, describing it as one of “national and international importance.” She also revealed that both she and the Prime Minister had expressed “considerable concern” about the potential consequences of the ban
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