Why did West Midlands Police Chief Craig Guildford step down and what does this mean for the future of the force? - Your questions answered

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, today announced the immediate retirement of West Midlands Police Chief, Craig Guildford. 

It comes after the force was brought into heavy scrutiny over inaccurate information relating to the Aston Villa V Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture in November last year.

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The inaccuracies included overstating the number of Dutch police officers deployed during a previous match, claims that a number of fans were linked to the Israeli Defence Force, and claims that Muslim communities had been intentionally targeted by Tel Aviv.

Today, Mr Foster stood outside the West Midlands Police headquarters building in Lloyd's House, Birmingham, as he announced that Mr Guildford would be stepping down from his role as Police Chief, a role that he had held since 2022.

During the announcement, Mr Foster said: "Mr Craig Guildford has today retired from West Midlands Police with immediate effect. 

"In doing so, he has acted with honour and in the best interest of West Midlands Police and our region. I welcome his decision."

In light of the recent announcement, we have taken a look back at the course of events that led to today's decision.

Why did he step down?

The retirement of Mr Guildford comes following months of controversy for the force, where Mr Guildford was blamed for inaccuracies regarding the banning of Tel Aviv fans from the fixture against Aston Villa. 

The inaccuracies included the number of Dutch police in response during a Tel Aviv match against Ajax in 2024.

Other inaccuracies also noted that some fans attending the match were a part of the 'Israeli Defence Force', and also, Tel Aviv fans had intentionally targeted Muslim communities. 

Because of the inaccuracies, the force declared the match as 'high risk' and took steps to ban Tel Aviv fans from the fixture, as well as place a large number of officers on the streets as part of a major operation. 

In the days since the fixture, Downing Street and the Home Secretary both declared that they no longer have confidence in Mr Guildford. 

What does this mean for the force?

During today's announcement, Mr Foster said that Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green will take up the mantle, being appointed to the role of Acting Chief Constable. 

Making the announcement, Mr Foster said: "We have already met to discuss the actions that the force must take to rebuild trust and confidence amongst all the people and communities of the West Midlands.

"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."

Public reaction

Residents of the West Midlands have spoken highly of Mr Guildford's decision to stand down from the force; however, they also believe that more must be done to help gain their trust again. 

Arjun Singh, of Birmingham, said: "It's a disgrace. I was there at the match, and there were police everywhere; it was largely peaceful.

"It was a complete over-reaction, and sadly, it singled out a specific group of supporters. It made the area and the sport look horrible. It's a shame, and it put a stain on the football.

"The police on the day acted beautifully, but it should never have gotten to that point. It's a shame."

Another Aston Villa fan, Mr David Allcock, said: "They [West Midlands Police] said that they want to rebuild that trust.

"The warnings that came before the match forced a lot of fans to stay indoors instead of going to the game. They will need to work hard to regain that trust in the fans."