Police boss known as again to Parliament AGAIN over ‘shoddy proof and falsehoods’ after banning Maccabi Tel Aviv followers from Aston Villa

A police chief has been told to go back to Parliament amid claims he provided ‘shoddy evidence’ while explaining the decision behind a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending an Aston Villa match last month. 

The Home Affairs Select Committee has written to West Midlands Chief Constable Craig Guildford to provide ‘further evidence’ amid claims he misled MPs when he appeared in front of the committee on December 1.

Daily Mail understands it is the first time a Chief Constable has been recalled to Parliament in this way.

In 2013, two senior police officers – Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton and Sergeant Chris Jones – were recalled to the Committee after providing ‘misleading evidence’ and were subsequently referred to the IPCC.

Both were involved in the so-called ‘Plebgate’ scandal in which they were found to have provided false accounts of an altercation between themselves and then Conservative Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell. 

Guildford’s deputy, Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara, has also been summoned to appear.

Both are accused of having provided misleading statements, including telling MPs that Jewish people in Birmingham had backed the prohibition on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending the match.

O’Hara had told the select committee that concerns were raised by the religious community over supporters of the Israeli football team travelling to the city.

He said this contributed to the decision to bar the fans from their Europa League fixture at Villa Park on November 6, which sparked a huge backlash – including claims that officials were caving into Islamist thugs. 

Guildford meanwhile had insisted the controversial decision by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (Sag) was based in part on police intelligence from counterparts in Amsterdam. 

A dossier which is said to have informed the ban referenced a Tel Aviv match against Dutch team Ajax last year. It said that out of 2,800 Israeli fans who travelled to Amsterdam, more than 200 were linked to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

It also said travelling fans threw ‘innocent members of the public into the river’, that between 500 and 600 ‘intentionally targeted Muslim communities’ and that 5,000 police officers were deployed in response.

But Dutch police have disputed the accuracy of this information while the Israeli embassy in London accused British police of relying on incorrect intelligence. 

A Dutch police spokesman said such claims were not recognised by the force.

It has also since emerged that police overruled advice from UEFA that fans from both clubs should attend. 

Earlier this week, O’Hara issued an apology to representatives of Birmingham’s Jewish community, emphasising he had ‘no intention’ of implying its members ‘had explicitly expressed support for the exclusion of Maccabi fans’.

He also accepted it was ‘not the case’ that members of the Jewish community had expressed support for the ban and will ‘ensure this is clearly articulated’ to MPs. 

In a letter to Guildford, Dame Karen Bradley, chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said that ‘in the light of subsequent developments, we have a number of questions relating to the actions of West Midlands Police in respect of this fixture. 

‘It is therefore our strong expectation that you will return to give further oral evidence to the Committee in the new year.’

Tonight leading politicians said the recalls to parliament were ‘unprecedented’, ‘absolutely shocking’ and ‘humiliating’, amid calls for Guildford to step down.

Life peer Lord Austin of Dudley, who is an Aston Villa fan, said: ‘It would be humiliating for any witness to be summoned back to Parliament because of concerns about the honesty of their answers, but it is absolutely shocking for this to happen to a Chief Constable and it is very difficult to see how he can keep his job.

‘We’ve had weeks of dodgy briefings, shoddy evidence and falsehoods from West Midlands Police because they chose to capitulate to Islamist extremists, racists, sectarian politicians and hate preachers and ban Israeli fans from Birmingham, instead of doing their job, which is to ensure people can go about their lawful business freely and safely.’

Conservative MP Nick Timothy said: ‘The evidence given to the committee by the police fell apart as quickly as the information they used to justify the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters. This is all dragging on far too long. 

‘We need maximum transparency from the police. If they cannot justify their actions, the chief constable will need to resign.’

Shadow Sports Minister Louie French also backed the latest development.

He said: ‘With major questions remaining over the intelligence used and pressure put on West Midlands Police to reach its wrong decision to ban Jewish fans, it is right that the Chief Constable be recalled to Parliament to give further evidence to the Home Affairs Committee’s inquiry.’

Former Attorney General Sir Michael Ellis KC said: ‘The Home Affairs Select Committee’s recall of West Midlands Police’s Chief Constable is an unprecedented step for this Commons Committee, but completely justified. 

‘They are embroiled in a litany of allegations, including suggestions they used bogus intelligence to support their decision, that they buckled to hardline pressure being exerted and a false claim that the local Jewish community supported a ban. 

‘It is clear the police have a very long way to go to restore public confidence.’ 

Daily Mail has approached Guildford and O’Hara for comment.