West Midlands Police AI hallucination led to Maccabi fan ban
West Midlands Police used Microsoft Copilot to help prepare a report that led to Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters being banned from a football match. The report contained a fabricated reference to a non-existent game, among eight inaccuracies identified by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary. Police leadership apologized and suspended the tool's use.
What happened
West Midlands Police submitted a report to Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group in October 2024 to inform a decision on whether Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters could travel to a Europa League game at Villa Park in November. The report contained eight inaccuracies identified in a review by His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, including a reference to a non-existent game between Maccabi and West Ham that was produced by Microsoft Copilot, an AI hallucination.
The Safety Advisory Group cited safety concerns based on the police report and barred Maccabi supporters from travelling to the match. The police report had overstated Maccabi supporters' role in disorder that had occurred in Amsterdam in 2024.
Reported impact
Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were prevented from attending the Europa League fixture at Villa Park in November 2024. The ban damaged public confidence in West Midlands Police, particularly among affected groups.
Index analysis
Microsoft Copilot generated a fabricated reference to a sports fixture that did not occur. The system was used by West Midlands Police officers in preparing factual reports for government decision-making without adequate verification of its outputs.
Governance controls
Acting Chief Constable Scott Green issued a full apology in January 2026 for the failings and immediately suspended officers' use of Microsoft Copilot AI tool as a temporary measure. He initiated a voluntary referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct regarding the conduct of officers and senior staff involved in the decision-making, and launched Operation Strive to learn lessons from the incident.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.