MPs are demanding answers from police over claims that their decision to ban Israeli fans from an Aston Villa match was based on exaggerated intelligence about the threat posed by Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters. The claim, made in a report by the Sunday Times, suggests that West Midlands Police (WMP) had overstated the risk of violence by comparing it to a similar incident involving Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam last year.
The police force has defended its evaluation, saying it was based on "proportionate" measures taken to ensure public safety. However, Conservative MP Nick Timothy is calling for the publication of all intelligence material relating to the ban and evidence considered by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group (SAG). He claims that the Maccabi fans were not skilled and organized fighters as reported by police but rather "just made up".
The government has stepped in, with Home Office Minister Sarah Jones writing to WMP Chief Constable Craig Guildford to ask for clarity. She also stated that she had asked His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services to carry out a wider investigation into how safety assessments were carried out.
A spokesperson for the police force has denied any exaggeration, stating that their evaluation was based on information and intelligence with public safety at its core. They concluded that a sub-section of Maccabi fans posed a credible threat to public safety during the fixture against Ajax in Amsterdam.
The debate raises questions about the accuracy of intelligence used by police forces to make decisions about fan restrictions and the need for greater transparency. As the issue continues, MPs are pushing for answers on how this incident came to be and whether it was based on sound judgment or misinformation.
The police force has defended its evaluation, saying it was based on "proportionate" measures taken to ensure public safety. However, Conservative MP Nick Timothy is calling for the publication of all intelligence material relating to the ban and evidence considered by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group (SAG). He claims that the Maccabi fans were not skilled and organized fighters as reported by police but rather "just made up".
The government has stepped in, with Home Office Minister Sarah Jones writing to WMP Chief Constable Craig Guildford to ask for clarity. She also stated that she had asked His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services to carry out a wider investigation into how safety assessments were carried out.
A spokesperson for the police force has denied any exaggeration, stating that their evaluation was based on information and intelligence with public safety at its core. They concluded that a sub-section of Maccabi fans posed a credible threat to public safety during the fixture against Ajax in Amsterdam.
The debate raises questions about the accuracy of intelligence used by police forces to make decisions about fan restrictions and the need for greater transparency. As the issue continues, MPs are pushing for answers on how this incident came to be and whether it was based on sound judgment or misinformation.
or that the police really did overestimate the threat posed by Maccabi fans 
. Either way, it's all about accountability and trust, right? 
I think we should be looking at how they evaluate public safety risks, not who gets banned from a footy match 
. Transparency is key here - if there was misinformation, who knew what and when? 
It'd be good to get some answers on that, don't you think? 
their excuse about the Amsterdam match doesn't add up at all... they're saying one group of fans is a threat but another group isn't? sounds like a total double standard to me 
and yeah the government should def be looking into this more closely, can't have just anyone getting banned from an event without solid proof 
So like, Aston Villa is supposed to play against Maccabi Tel Aviv and the cops banned all Israeli fans from the match... but now we find out they might've made a major mistake? 
Like, overestimated the threat or something? This is so crazy! I feel for the Israeli fans who were just trying to watch a game, ugh. And what's with the police sayin' they took "proportionate" measures? Doesn't sound right, fam... 
The gov is gettin involved too, which is cool, but like, why did it take them so long to step in? 
. But at the same time, we all want to feel safe when we're out and about, right? 
. And now there's even more questions being asked about how this all went down 
.
. The government is stepping in to help, which is good, but we still need answers from the police on what really happened 
and I'm still trying to figure out what's going on here 
and now there's all this drama about it 
.
they gotta be honest about why they banned those Israeli fans, it sounds like they were just paranoid lol and over-reacted 
... this just shows how complicated these things can get when there's a bunch of different perspectives involved 
... anyways, think we'll ever know the real story? 
There's a big difference between a proportionate measure and an exaggerated threat assessment. I'm not saying the police were wrong, but it doesn't look good when one side is calling out the other for misinformation 
. The police force has got a point about takin' proportionate measures to keep people safe. Can we just focus on findin' out what really went down and how we can move forward in a positive way?