The chief constable of West Midlands Police has issued a formal apology to MPs after an AI blunder triggered a major cock-up in evidence presented to the Commons Home Affairs Committee.
Wrong Football Match Cited Thanks to AI
Craig Guildford wrote to Dame Karen Bradley, chair of the committee, admitting that false info about a football match was mistakenly included in a police report.
“I write further to my appearances at the HAC on 1st December 2025 and 6th January 2026 regarding the erroneous inclusion of the West Ham v Maccabi Tel Aviv match in the WMP report to Birmingham City Council’s Safety Advisory Group.
“On Friday afternoon, while preparing for the HMICFRS inquiry, I learned the error came from using Microsoft Co-Pilot AI, not just a Google search as previously thought by both myself and ACC O’Hara.
“I offer my profound apology to the Committee for this mistake. I honestly believed the match was identified via Google, and there was no intention to mislead.”
Government Weighs Up Police Report Fallout
A Home Office spokesperson revealed: “The Home Secretary has received the Chief Inspectorate’s findings on West Midlands Police’s recommendation to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an Aston Villa match. She will review the letter and respond with a Commons statement later today.”
