Ex-chief constable investigated over Israeli fan ban

The former chief constable of West Midlands Police is being investigated by the police watchdog for gross misconduct over the banning of Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match against Aston Villa.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has given notice that it is investigating Craig Guildford, as well as three police officers and a staff member.

The IOPC launched an independent investigation in January to examine the involvement of West Midlands Police officers in the planning and preparation of the match at Villa Park on 6 November 2025.

The ban attracted national and international debate, with the government saying it would do everything in its power to have it overturned.

The IOPC said evidence indicated that Guildford "may have had oversight on an intelligence briefing document presented to the safety advisory group (SAG) that was later reported to have contained inaccuracies and misleading information".

It is alleged the briefing document "gave an imbalanced view of the risk away fans posed", contributing to the decision to ban the supporters.

The police watchdog added: "We consider Mr Guildford may have failed to ensure due diligence and the highest level of scrutiny over such an influential document."

A senior serving officer, who played a lead role in compiling the briefing, is under investigation for allegedly failing to ensure its accuracy.

The watchdog said the officer may not have accurately represented some information which could have resulted in the briefing "lacking impartiality".

They are also examining whether the officer "may have failed to appropriately handle sensitive intelligence" contained in the report, before it was shared with SAG members.

The staff member, who was involved in researching and compiling intelligence for the game, is alleged to have sourced inaccurate information from AI searches and took no subsequent action to help ensure it was not included in briefings.

Two other senior serving officers who played important roles in the force's planning for the game have been notified they are being investigated for potential misconduct.

It is alleged one was not sufficiently diligent in the exercise of their duties in overseeing the operation, including balancing operational needs alongside engaging with local Jewish communities, and that they displayed a lack of impartiality towards Maccabi fans in both external and internal communications.

The other officer will be investigated in relation to their oversight of the briefing document and an allegation that they too lacked balance in references to Maccabi supporters.

A dedicated investigation team at the IOPC has examined more than 600 pieces of evidence, including operational documents, reports, intelligence research, minutes of meetings, and a large volume of correspondence including emails and messages.

The IOPC's director of engagement, Derrick Campbell, said: "Our investigation to date has been to assess whether there is an indication anyone may have breached one or more of the standards of police professional behaviour.

"We have examined a wealth of material, hundreds of pieces of evidence, and believe there is an indication some people serving with the police may potentially have behaved in a manner that could justify disciplinary proceedings.

"They have been informed their conduct will be investigated. At the end of our investigation, we will decide if anyone has a case to answer and should face a misconduct meeting or hearing."

Campbell added that the serving of notices did not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings would follow, saying all decisions would be kept under review as the investigation progressed.

West Midlands Police's temporary deputy chief constable, Jen Mattinson, said that she undertook a voluntary referral to the IOPC on her first full day in the role regarding conduct matters by senior officers and staff.

"This referral was made prior to the IOPC announcement to use their 'power of initiative' to independently investigate if any officer or staff member may have a case to answer for misconduct," Mattinson said.

"We recognise that the public's trust in West Midlands Police has been damaged by this event and we have worked hard over the last seven months - and continue to do so - to rebuild confidence in the force.

"We will continue to fully engage and cooperate with the IOPC as their work continues."

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