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UK police have admitted that an error came from Microsoft Copilot. This error led to a flawed intelligence report. The report was used to justify banning Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from a Europa League match in Birmingham.
West Midlands Police made the recommendation during safety planning for the Aston Villa fixture on 6 November 2025. Officers claimed that Maccabi fans had a record of violent behaviour. The report included what appeared to be a list of previous high‑risk fixtures.
One match on that list was between West Ham United and Maccabi Tel Aviv. The match never happened. It was fabricated by Microsoft Copilot and included without proper checks.
The police chief, Craig Guildford, told Parliament in December that the error came from a Google search. He later wrote to MPs admitting that Copilot generated the false information. He apologised for the mistake and said he had not intended to mislead legislators.
The revelation has fuelled a political backlash. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she had lost confidence in Guildford. She said the force relied on exaggerated and inaccurate claims about previous incidents, including disputed reports of clashes in Amsterdam. She described the episode as a failure of leadership.
The decision to ban fans was controversial from the start. Community groups and political leaders questioned whether the intelligence was reliable. Critics argued that the ban unfairly targeted Israeli supporters. Others said it reflected poor information handling rather than bias.
More than 700 officers were deployed on match day. The match went ahead behind closed doors after Maccabi Tel Aviv declined their ticket allocation.
The incident has raised wider questions about police use of AI tools. Campaigners say officers should not rely on AI‑generated material without clear rules, training or verification. MPs say the force had no AI policy and gave inconsistent statements about its use of digital tools.
The case is now under review. The findings are expected to shape future guidance on AI use in UK policing.
Sources
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