Overview
- Craig Guildford is due to announce his retirement on Friday after sustained pressure following HMIC’s critical report.
- The West Midlands police and crime commissioner, the only official with power to remove a chief constable, is scheduled to confirm the decision at a 4pm statement.
- HMIC found the force exaggerated and in parts invented evidence, including an AI‑generated reference to a fictitious Maccabi Tel Aviv vs West Ham fixture.
- Home secretary Shabana Mahmood declared she had no confidence in Guildford this week, prompting renewed debate over restoring ministerial dismissal powers and reforming the PCC system.
- The Independent Office for Police Conduct is considering whether to open a conduct investigation, and Guildford has apologized for false AI-derived intelligence after earlier denying AI use to MPs.