Andy Cooke

Craig Guildford recently retired as chief constable of West Midlands Police, the second largest police force in England. His departure follows an official inquiry that found the force used “exaggerated and untrue” intelligence to justify banning fans of Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a match against Aston Villa in Birmingham in November. The report indicated that the threat posed by the supporters was overstated. The U.K. Home Secretary reportedly pressured Guildford to resign. The West Midlands police and crime commissioner, Simon Foster, was scheduled to officially announce the decision. Guildford has been referred to the police watchdog following the inquiry's findings.