West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford has issued a formal apology to British Members of Parliament. He admitted providing incorrect evidence about banning football fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv. Guildford revealed that a critical error stemmed from a report generated by Microsoft's Copilot artificial intelligence tool.
AI Tool Creates Fictitious Football Match
In a recent email to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Guildford explained the situation. The police intelligence included details about a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and West Ham United. This match never actually took place. Microsoft Copilot created this fictitious information during what Guildford described as "one individual doing one Google search."
The police then used these incorrect details to make a significant decision. They denied entry to Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters for a UEFA Europa League match against Aston Villa last year. This decision sparked immediate controversy and drew criticism from various quarters.
Contradiction in Previous Testimony
This new admission directly contradicts Guildford's earlier statements to MPs. Previously, the chief constable had testified that the police force did not use artificial intelligence in their operations. Now he acknowledges that Copilot was indeed involved in creating the flawed intelligence report.
In his email, Guildford offered what he called a "profound apology" for the error. He wrote: "I had understood and been advised that the match had been identified by way of a Google search. My belief that this was the case was honestly held, and there was no intention to mislead the committee."
Political Fallout and Inspection Report
The apology comes at a sensitive political moment. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is preparing to make a statement to MPs about findings from a police inspection report. Recently, Mahmood told the UK Parliament that she had lost confidence in Chief Constable Guildford.
The police report examined the decision to prevent Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending that Europa League match in November 2025. This decision reached the highest levels of British government, drawing criticism from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer himself.
Match Security and Previous Incidents
According to BBC reports, more than 700 police officers were deployed for the Aston Villa match. Several protests occurred outside the stadium during the event. West Midlands Police had classified the match as "high risk" in their security assessment.
In an October statement, the police force explained their reasoning. They said their decision was based on "current intelligence and previous incidents." This included violent clashes and hate crime offenses that occurred during a different match involving Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam the previous year.
Microsoft Responds to Police Report
Microsoft has responded to the controversy surrounding their Copilot tool. A company spokesperson told Business Insider they could not replicate the results reported by the police department. The spokesperson explained: "Copilot combines information from multiple web sources into a single response with linked citations. It informs users they are interacting with an AI system and encourages them to review the sources."
Background on Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv holds significance as Israel's oldest soccer team. The club has spent decades striving to reach the top levels of European football competition. The Europa League represents UEFA's second-highest level of competition for teams across Europe, ranking just below the prestigious Champions League.
The fake West Ham match information was presented to the security group that ultimately decided to ban away fans. This case highlights growing concerns about artificial intelligence tools generating inaccurate information that can have real-world consequences.
