The BBC reports:The chief constable of West Midlands Police has retired after damning criticism of a decision to ban Israeli fans from a match against Aston Villa. Craig Guildford’s retirement was confirmed on Friday after both Downing Street and the home secretary said this week they had lost confidence in his leadership. The real scandal isn’t the incorrect information, but the decision to ban Maccabi fans from the stadium. The West Midlands Police said it was because the fans were violent and would terrorise locals. The real reason was that they thought the Maccabi fans would be attacked by Islamist elements in the UK.

Source: BBC January 26, 2026 10:05 UTC