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Police chief who led Maccabi fan ban remains in post despite home secretary losing confidence
Summary
West Midlands chief constable Craig Guildford will remain in post after a report found the intelligence used to justify a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans was 'greatly exaggerated', while home secretary Shabana Mahmood said she has lost confidence in him.
Content
West Midlands chief constable Craig Guildford has said he will stay in his role after a policing inspector's report criticised the intelligence used to support a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, told parliament she no longer has confidence in him and called for a change in the law so she could remove chief constables. Sir Andy Cooke's report found errors and misleading statements in the force's handling of intelligence and in its engagement with Dutch police. The force has apologised for mistakes and said there was no deliberate distortion.
Known facts:
- Sir Andy Cooke's report concluded the threat posed by Maccabi fans was "greatly exaggerated" and identified shortcomings in how the West Midlands force gathered and presented intelligence.
- Home secretary Shabana Mahmood told the House of Commons she has lost confidence in the chief constable but said she does not have the current legal power to dismiss him.
- Craig Guildford remains in post and will await a decision from Simon Foster, the West Midlands police and crime commissioner, on whether to begin formal dismissal proceedings.
- The police and crime commissioner has said he will consider Cooke's report and other inquiries and has scheduled a public hearing on 27 January to examine the chief constable's actions.
Summary:
The inspector's findings have prompted concerns about the accuracy of intelligence and the oversight of decisions that led to the fan ban. The chief constable remains in office while the police and crime commissioner reviews reports and prepares a public hearing on 27 January. Further reviews and parliamentary scrutiny are expected.
