'Chief Constable must go' : Senior councillor urges commissioner to step in after Home Secretary's criticism of police chief
A senior Wolverhampton councillor has called on the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner to 'show leadership' and sack beleaguered Chief Constable Craig Guildford
Councillor Simon Bennett accused commissioner Simon Foster of showing indecision and hiding behind process' after the force was criticised for banning Israeli football fans from an Aston Villa game on November 6 last year.
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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood today (Wednesday) told the House of Commons that she had no confidence in Mr Guildford's leadership following the affair. But Councillor Bennett, leader of the Conservative opposition leader on Wolverhampton Council, said it was Mr Foster was the only person with the authority to remove Mr Guildford from his post, and it was time for action.
Mr Guildford today apologised for misleading MPs in evidence he gave to the Home Affairs select committee, where he said the force had not used AI t compile its intelligence report on supporters of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv. He has now admitted that AI was used.
Away fans were banned when Maccabi travelled to Aston Villa for a Europa League tie in October last year. The force had claimed the decision was made based on reports that the club had linked to the Israeli army, and its supporters had a track record for violence. It later admitted that these claims were incorrect, and that the force feared Maccabi fans would be subject to attacks from pro-Palestinian campaigners.
Mr Foster's Labour colleagues, West Midland mayor Richard Parker and Birmingham Council leader John Cotton, have both called for Mr Guildford's resignation.
But following in response to the Home Secretary's statement, Mr Foster said he planned to discuss the matter with Mr Guildford at a meeting on January 27.
