Police get Villa-Maccabi game intelligence deadline

More than 700 officers policed the match on 6 November

Police have been given a demand to provide answers about the accuracy of claims that led to a decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match against Aston Villa.

It comes as West Midlands Police are due to face MPs on Monday to give evidence centred on intelligence from Dutch police, after violence around a match in Amsterdam, last year.

Simon Foster, the region's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), who is also due at the Home Affairs Committee meeting, has written to Chief Constable Craig Guildford, requesting a response by 16:00 GMT.

WMP has said it remained "satisfied in the veracity of our information and intelligence, which put public safety at the heart of our decision-making".

The deadline comes after former MP Lord Cryer's calls on Thursday for an official inquiry into what he deemed was "an evil plot" by "a bunch of bigots and racists" to turn Birmingham "into a no-go area for Jewish people".

He spoke out after a report in the Sunday Times (ST) this week, alleged police had overstated the threat posed by Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ahead of the match on 6 November, citing violence around the 2024 fixture between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

No serious disorder

The match, policed by more than 700 officers, passed off without serious disorder and only a handful of arrests, following the decision on the ban by the city's Safety Advisory Group (SAG), a panel that includes the council as well as police.

The ST reported that Dutch police had disputed the accuracy of the claims of violence by WMP, around the match in Amsterdam.

But WMP stressed the ban came after it had a meeting with the Netherlands force on 1 October, where information relating to last year's fixture was shared.

PCC Simon Foster is due to give evidence before the Home Affairs Committee

In a statement, Amsterdam police confirmed it had discussed the "risk of having Maccabi supporters visiting Birmingham" with WMP, early in October.

In relation to the 2024 disorder, the Dutch force said: "On several occasions pro-Palestine activists and Maccabi supporters shouted insults and provoked each other.

"The police are strongly present to keep the situation under control and to prevent further escalation but cannot prevent groups of rioters - both Maccabi supporters and pro-Palestine sympathizers - from clashing."

Four rioters were later handed short jail terms for violence against football fans visiting Amsterdam for the Ajax match against

The match at Villa Park "passed without major incident, with no serious disorder and no disruption to the game", police said.

Ten people were arrested, including some for racially aggravated abuse towards both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine groups.

The match at Villa Park on 6 November passed off with little disorder with only a handful of arrests in the streets around the stadium

The PCC has now issued four demands from the force and set a deadline of 16:00 GMT on Friday for them to give him their response

He has asked for:

• Assurance on the accuracy, credibility, reliability and provenance of the Dutch intelligence.

• Confirmation that WMP interpreted the intelligence fairly and reasonably when advising the SAG on 16 October.

• Evidence the intelligence was shared with the Home Office before Birmingham City Council's decision, and that no concerns were raised.

• Confirmation the UK Football Policing Unit's rapid review also found no issues with the intelligence.

Claims of fabrication

Foster has also written separately to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and Conservative MP Nick Timothy, following their allegations in parliament that WMP fabricated intelligence.

Timothy claimed the force was "accused of fabricating intelligence and misleading the public," while Philp said concerns raised about Maccabi fans were "completely false" and "just made up".

The PCC has asked both MPs to provide any evidence supporting their claims beyond the ST report.

A WMP spokesperson said the force would present evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on Monday and "it would be inappropriate to make further comment at this time".