Police chief Craig Guildford is planning to sue for constructive dismissal after he retired yesterday following the Maccabi Tel Aviv fiasco.
The West Midlands chief constable was allowed to depart with his full pension by the area’s police and crime commissioner (PCC), who even praised his ‘honour’ in stepping down.
Mr Guildford finally relinquished his post after spending days rebuffing calls to quit from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and MPs.
Now the 52-year-old is consulting lawyers about the possibility of suing for constructive dismissal in a bid for a six-figure payout, potentially worth more than £600,000, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Sources close to Mr Guildford said ‘constructive dismissal is on his mind’, and the senior officer is seeking a ‘significant payout’ as he had almost three years left on his contract worth a total of £288,700 a year, including a salary of £215,300.
But the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) last night raised the prospect that Mr Guildford could face a misconduct investigation, probably delaying any lawsuit.
The watchdog is examining a report by Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Andy Cooke, which revealed how evidence was fabricated and exaggerated by police to justify a ban on Israeli fans attending the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv game in Birmingham in November last year.
Rachel Watson, its director general, said the IOPC’s ‘interest’ in Mr Guildford and other officers involved ‘does not end following his decision to step down’.
She added: ‘We have been examining a wealth of evidence, and we have met with [the Inspectorate of Constabulary] to request additional material.
‘If there is any indication of misconduct, we will act.’
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has formally complained to the watchdog, saying Mr Guildford’s actions in relation to the match may ‘amount to gross misconduct’.
Mr Philp said yesterday it was ‘totally outrageous’ the top officer was consulting lawyers with a view to launching a claim after blaming a ‘political and media frenzy’ for his departure.
‘That is frankly an insult to the British public. This man should have been sacked in disgrace,’ Mr Philp added.
The manner in which the officer was allowed to leave was condemned yesterday. Home Secretary Ms Mahmood said she had lost confidence in Mr Guildford on Wednesday, but the chief constable refused to go for days.
Local PCC Simon Foster, who was the only person with the power to sack him, praised his ‘honour’ and many ‘positive achievements and contributions’, saying: ‘The chief constable, Craig Guildford, has today retired from West Midlands Police with immediate effect.
‘In doing so, he has acted with honour and in the best interests of West Midlands Police and our region.’
And Ayoub Khan, independent MP for Villa Park, criticised Mr Guildford’s retirement, saying it was ‘one of the greatest injustices of our time’ that a chief constable was ‘sacrificed not for failure, but for doing his duty’.
But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘A chief constable cannot bow to the demands of an Islamist mob and then mislead Parliament and stay in their job.
‘I am glad he is now “retiring” but it’s extraordinary that the Labour PCC and the Home Secretary didn’t just sack him.’
Ms Mahmood said: ‘The findings of the chief inspector were damning. They set out a catalogue of failings that have harmed trust in West Midlands Police.
‘By stepping down, Craig Guildford has done the right thing today.’
Gavin Stephens, head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, acknowledged that the row had damaged policing, saying: ‘We absolutely recognise the observations of the Inspectorate and the views in Parliament and elsewhere have been really serious and damaging for policing.’
Mr Guildford said yesterday: ‘The political and media frenzy around myself and my position has become detrimental to all the great work undertaken by my officers and staff in serving communities across the West Midlands.’
