Disgraced police chief behind Maccabi Tel Aviv row handed £57,000 taxpayer payout
The West Midlands PCC has insisted Craig Guildford 'received no more than the bare minimum he was entitled to'
The West Midlands PCC has insisted Craig Guildford 'received no more than the bare minimum he was entitled to'
The disgraced police chief at the centre of the row over Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters being banned from attending their Europa League fixture against Aston Villa has been handed a £57,000 taxpayer-funded payout.
Former West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford was allowed to retire from his £220,000-a-year post despite his force being found to have used "exaggerated and untrue" intelligence to justify recommending a ban on Israeli fans travelling to Birmingham.
He has now received compensation and been allowed to keep his pension, despite the force later being found to have made misleading statements about Maccabi supporters and failing to engage with Britain's Jewish community over the decision.
West Midlands Police based its recommendation on intelligence following the chaotic clash between Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters and Ajax fans in Amsterdam a year earlier - information that has since been dismissed as false or misleading.
The force claimed as many as 600 Maccabi supporters deliberately attacked Muslim neighbourhoods during their visit to Amsterdam, but Dutch police have since said "provocations came from both sides."
Officers also alleged fans pushed members of the public into canals and claimed 200 supporters had links to the Israeli military.
Dutch police have said they had no evidence to support that claim, while the five people convicted over the disorder in Amsterdam in 2024 were all found guilty of violence against Israelis.
Mr Guildford later admitted flawed AI-generated information had also been considered as part of the decision-making process.
The Chief Constable wrote to MPs to apologise after an AI tool generated details of a fictitious match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham.
The £57,000 "golden goodbye" for the former police chief has been condemned as an "appalling use of taxpayers' money".
Given the circumstances surrounding his departure, West Midlands Police has been urged to publish its "full justification" for authorising the payout.
The Conservatives branded the package a "reward for failure".
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy told The Telegraph: "It is a disgrace that Craig Guildford has walked away with such a huge payout.
“On his watch, under pressure from Islamists and anti-Semites, West Midlands Police lied to justify banning Israeli fans from Villa Park.”
The TaxPayers' Alliance also condemned the payout, with the campaign group's media campaign manager William Yarwood telling the newspaper that the public “should not be used as a cash machine for police chiefs leaving under a cloud”.
He added: “A £58,000 loss-of-office payout will look to many like a golden goodbye for failure at a time when confidence in policing is already on the floor."
A spokesman for the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner said: “Mr Guildford stepped down following months of scrutiny from the PCC, and many others, after West Midlands Police made the decision to recommend to the Birmingham City Council Safety Advisory Group a ban on away fans attending the Europa League football match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv on 6 November 2025.
“The commissioner has to act in accordance with due process and the law. Mr Guildford was legally entitled to 3 months’ pay in lieu of notice, plus any outstanding leave.
“He received no more than the bare minimum he was contractually entitled to.
“The alternative was for Mr Guildford to remain in post until April 2026, work his three-month notice period, and be paid his salary as chief constable, continuing to make operational decisions and lead the force.”