Former West Midlands Police chief given £57k ‘golden goodbye’

The former boss of West Midlands Police has been given a payout worth £57,800 after he retired, following criticism of a decision to ban Israeli football fans from a match against Aston Villa.

Craig Guildford received the payment for “loss of office” on top of his £220,800 salary according to figures from the most recent set of accounts, external published by the force.

The document shows Guildford received a total pay package of £344,500 in the 2025/2026 financial year, which included a pension contribution of £65,900.

The former chief’s retirement was confirmed in January after both Downing Street and the home secretary said they had lost confidence in his leadership.

Guildford had faced numerous calls to resign after apologising for providing incorrect evidence to MPs, which included a denial that AI was used in the report which led to the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the game on 6 November.

Announcing his retirement, the 52-year-old blamed what he described as the “political and media frenzy” for his decision to step down.

“I have carefully considered my position and concluded that retirement is in the best interests of the organisation, myself and my family,” he said at the time.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster welcomed that decision and said it had avoided what might otherwise have been a complex and costly process.

News of the payout has been criticised, however, with Lord Austin of Dudley, a former minister and prominent campaigner against antisemitism reported in The Times saying it was “an appalling use of taxpayers’ money.”