The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has announced an investigation into Craig Guildford, the former chief constable of West Midlands Police, for alleged gross misconduct. The investigation also involves three police officers and a staff member.
The inquiry focuses on the banning of Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match against Aston Villa at Villa Park on 6 November 2025. The IOPC launched its independent investigation in January to examine the involvement of West Midlands Police officers in the planning and preparation for the match.
Evidence indicates that Mr 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," according to the IOPC. It is alleged this document "gave an imbalanced view of the risk away fans posed," which may have contributed to the decision to ban supporters.
The police watchdog stated, "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 involved in compiling the briefing is also under investigation for allegedly failing to ensure its accuracy and potentially not accurately representing some information, which could have resulted in the briefing "lacking impartiality."