West Midlands Police chief constable retires amid criticism of decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans

Craig Guildford said the “political and media frenzy around his position” had become “detrimental” to his force.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the chief constable had “done the right thing” in stepping down.

It comes after a “damning” report from His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary concluded that false intelligence sourced from artificial intelligence (AI) was used to justify the ban on away fans (see https://policeprofessional.com/news/confirmation-bias-influenced-wmps-recommendation-to-ban-maccabi-tel-aviv-fans/)

The Home Secretary said: “The findings of the Chief Inspector were damning. They set out a catalogue of failings that have harmed trust in West Midlands Police.

“By stepping down, Craig Guildford has done the right thing today.

“I would like to acknowledge his years of service. And I pay tribute to the work of the officers in West Midlands Police, who keep their community safe every day.

“Today (January 16) marks a crucial first step to rebuilding trust and confidence in the force amongst all the communities they serve.”

Mr Guildford has served with the force since December 2022, after starting his policing career in 1992 as a Special Constable.

Speaking on his last day, he said: “I have come to the conclusion that the political and media frenzy around myself and my position has become detrimental to all the great work undertaken by my officers and staff in serving communities across the West Midlands.

“I have carefully considered my position and concluded that retirement is in the best interests of the organisation, myself and my family.

“It has been the honour of my career serving as the chief constable of West Midlands Police.

“With the force’s dedicated and hard-working workforce, together we have turned this force around. I therefore want to take this opportunity to recognise the outstanding level of service that this force provides to the public. I know this will continue, thanks to all of the officers, staff and volunteers who work for West Midlands Police who all strive to keep the public safe.

“I would also like to thank all of the communities of the West Midlands for your support. I will greatly miss the incredible people I have had the privilege to meet, work with and serve across the region.”

West Midlands Police Federation said: “As with any police officer leaving the service through retirement, his long career in policing deserves recognition and thanks.

“This has been a difficult and unsettling period for policing in the West Midlands, particularly for officers and staff who have continued to serve the public under sustained and intense scrutiny. Accountability and public confidence are fundamental to policing, but it is also important that those involved are treated with basic fairness, perspective and regard for individual welfare and wellbeing.

“Our focus now is on supporting our members, maintaining stability within the Force, and ensuring that any lessons identified through formal processes are considered properly and implemented constructively. That must be done in a way that supports effective policing and enables officers to continue serving the public with confidence.

“West Midlands Police officers continue to serve their communities with professionalism and commitment, and they deserve leadership, governance and scrutiny that strengthens, rather than weakens, the service they provide.”

West Midlands police and crime commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster had already committed to a “formal review of evidence” following a Home Affairs Committee’s inquiry into the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.

In a statement he said: “The chief constable, Craig Guildford, has today retired from West Midlands Police with immediate effect. In doing so, he has acted with honour and in the best interests of West Midlands Police and our region. I welcome his decision.

“I am pleased this outcome has been reached having regard to due process and the law. That has prevented what might otherwise have been a complex procedure, that would have caused significant distraction, impact and cost to West Midlands Police and the wider West Midlands. It was important this matter was resolved in a balanced, calm, fair, measured and respectful manner.

“The chief constable’s retirement follows the decision of the Birmingham City Council Safety Advisory Group, based on the recommendation of West Midlands Police, to ban away fans from attending the Europa League football match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv on 6 November 2025.

“West Midlands Police have been subjected to understandable intense and significant oversight and scrutiny as a consequence of events that led to the recommendation it made to the Safety Advisory Group.

“That has included the letter from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary that was published as recently as Wednesday (January 14), that set out significant preliminary concerns and shortcomings in relation to preparation and planning by West Midlands Police.”

Mr Foster added: “It is important that I acknowledge the many positive achievements and contributions that Craig Guildford has made to policing within the West Midlands during the course of his three years tenure as chief constable. As PCC and on behalf of the people of the West Midlands, I thank him for his service.”

The PCC said he has appointed Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green, as the acting chief constable.

“We have already met, to discuss the actions that the force must take to re-build trust and confidence amongst all the people and communities of the West Midlands, including addressing the significant matters identified in the letter from HMIC,” Mr Foster said.

“The acting chief constable and I are committed to working together, to prevent and tackle crime, bring offenders to justice, promote the rights and welfare of victims and ensure the safety and security of the people and communities of the West Midlands.”

Mr Green, joined West Midlands Police as the deputy chief constable in April 2023, has appointed Assistant Chief Constable Jen Mattinson as acting deputy chief constable.

He started his police career in South Yorkshire Police in the 1990s, serving in uniform and CID at various ranks, including working for the forerunner of the National Counter Terrorism Policing network. His last post in South Yorkshire Police was as a chief superintendent, district commander for Barnsley.

He was successful at the 2019 Senior Police National Assessment Centre, graduated from the Strategic Command Course in 2020 and was subsequently appointed as an assistant chief constable in Staffordshire Police with responsibility for contact, response, partnerships and neighbourhoods.

In September 2021 he moved to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) as part of a new chief officer team brought together to help lead GMP out of ‘Special Measures’. During his time in GMP he was responsible for all ten policing districts across Greater Manchester and was part of the chief officer team that led the force out of ‘Special Measures’ in what was then faster than any previous police force.

As the acting chief constable of West Midlands Police and responsible for the force’s performance, he is proud to have been part of the chief officer team that led the force out of ‘Special Measures’ in an unprecedented nine months and 27 days – now the fastest of any police force.

Mr Green is an experienced Public Order Gold Commander, Multi-Agency Gold Incident Commander (MAGIC), and Specialist Strategic Firearms Commander. He is also the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for Alcohol Harm and Vulnerability.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Process Engineering and Fuel Technology from the University of Sheffield and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Leicester – his master’s dissertation studied the impact on police training of the Sir William Macpherson Report into the death of Stephen Lawrence.

Mr Green is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). He has previously been a non-executive director of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, a governor of three schools, a Trustee of Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, and a Trustee of Sheffield Futures – a charity that supports young people and adults to achieve their full potential in learning, employment and life to achieve a better future.