West Midlands Police admit ‘errors have been made’ over choice to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv followers – however would not point out underneath hearth chief constable Craig Guildford

West Midlands Police have admitted ‘mistakes were made’ over its controversial decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending an Aston Villa game.

The force has come under scrutiny after supporters of the Israeli football team were barred from travelling to the game at Villa Park in Birmingham last year amid safety concerns. 

Chief Constable Craig Guildford is now facing calls to resign after a ‘damning’ review from the policing watchdog over the decision was published earlier today.   

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the report showed ‘confirmation bias’ and a ‘failure of leadership’ in West Midlands Police, adding that PC Guildford ‘no longer has my confidence’.

Responding to the concerns, the force admitted that ‘mistakes were made’ and apologised ‘for the impact these have had on individuals and their communities’.

However, it made no mention of Mr Guildford’s position as a senior leader.

West Midlands Police chief constable Craig Guildford at Home Affairs Committee on January 6

The force said in a statement on Wednesday evening: ‘We continue to actively engage and support HMICFRS’s inspection.

‘We have received a copy of the preliminary review today and acknowledge that this recognises the unintentional nature of our errors.

‘We are extremely sorry for the impact these have had on individuals and their communities.

‘We are taking immediate action to address the matters raised in these preliminary findings.

‘We know that mistakes were made but reiterate the findings that none of this was done with an intent of deliberate distortion or discrimination.’

The letter continues: ‘West Midlands Police is an anti-discriminatory organisation and our planning for this football match was always about public safety of all communities.

‘We continue to focus on protecting the public of West Midlands and improving our services, as we have done relentlessly during the last several years.

‘We will now work tirelessly to rebuild confidence in West Midlands Police.’

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.