"Evidence cited by police which led to the controversial banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a match against Aston Villa was based on facts "changed to fit a decision," a group of MPs has heard. The government's independent adviser on antisemitism, Lord Mann, told the Home Affairs Committee he "struggled" with some "inaccurate" details given by the West Midlands force."
"UK Parliament Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were prohibited from attending the 6 November game at Villa Park in Birmingham, a decision that was later reviewed. The police evaluation was based primarily on information given to the force by Dutch police commanders ahead of the game, the MPs heard. Assistant Chief Constable Mike O'Hara and West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster are also being questioned their decision-making."
Evidence cited by police that led to banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an Aston Villa match contained inaccurate information altered to fit a decision, MPs were told. Lord Mann, the government's independent adviser on antisemitism, said he struggled with inaccurate and conflated details, including claims tied to an Ajax fixture in Amsterdam and alleged running street battles that did not occur on match day. Chief Constable Craig Guildford said the ban decision was not taken lightly and that the force had taken a careful approach. The ban for the 6 November game at Villa Park was later reviewed; policing involved over 700 officers and only a handful of arrests.
Read at www.bbc.com
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