Police chief who banned Jewish fans has to go

AFTER it emerged back in November that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans would not be allowed to attend Aston Villa’s Europa League fixture at Villa Park, the match went ahead, but the away end stayed empty.

- Esther Krakue

Chief Constable Craig Guildford, centre, addresses the Home Affairs committee

It was an unprecedented ban. West Midlands Police said the decision was based on intelligence pointing to increased safety risks and disorder.It sounded dubious then. Now, after weeks of scrutiny and a bruising Home Affairs select committee hearing, it’s clear this was not just a poor judgment call, but a scandal that should end careers.

West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford, whose halting appearance before MPs was an utter humiliation, should resign. And if he doesn’t, he should be removed. The force’s decision was neither honest nor neutral, and the attempt to justify it after the fact has been an embarrassment to British policing.

The original justification that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters posed an exceptional risk of violence has since collapsed. The decision was not based on credible intelligence, but on fears about how elements of the local community might react to their presence. In other words, there were fears local extremists would target Jewish supporters —and instead of confronting the threat, the solution police came upon was to ban the Jews.