The home secretary has said she no longer has confidence in the chief constable of West Midlands Police after a “damning” report into the force’s decision to ban Israeli football fans from attending a game in the UK.
Shabana Mahmood told MPs a review by a police watchdog into the force showed “confirmation bias” over the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending the match at Villa Park in November.
Ms Mahmood also expressed frustration that she was not able to sack chief constable Craig Guildford herself.
The home secretary does not have the power to hire or fire chief constables, as this is now held by police and crime commissioners – a role being scrapped by the government.
Ms Mahmood said new statutory powers allowing a home secretary to force the resignation of chief constables on the grounds of their performance are planned.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Guildford apologised to MPs for giving them “erroneous” evidence about the decision to ban Maccabi fans, blaming the use of AI.
The police force announced in October that supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv would not be able to attend the club’s match against Aston Villa in Birmingham the following month, due to safety concerns.
Illegal migrant worker crackdown sees record numbers of raids and arrests
Asylum hotel migrant evictions set to begin in the spring
Migrant small boat Channel crossings in 2025 are second highest ever
That decision led to an outcry, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressing concern, and senior members of West Midlands Police made to appear twice before MPs to answer questions about the ban.
The House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee heard evidence from Chief Constable Guildford, as well as others, which led to the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council jointly calling for him to go.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
