I told West Midlands not to reappoint chief constable, says former cop
A former British police officer, who called Craig Guildford a 'massive a**e' and accused him of bullying, has said she warned West Midlands Police against taking him back when he resigned previously.Khizra Bano, who had 22 years' experience and was the force's highest-ranking Asian female officer, brought an employment tribunal action in 2024 against the chief constable alleging harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination.Bano, who was named policewoman of the year during her career, claimed she was treated differently after warning the force about racism and misogyny in their ranks.Just hours after Guildford retired over the Maccabi Tel Aviv scandal, Bano claimed she had previously handed over a dossier of complaints about him to the force - but they ignored her concerns.Guildford, who stepped down as West Midlands Police chief constable on Friday, quietly retired in November 2024 before being rehired a month later in a move to protect his pension. The 'retire and rejoin' scheme enabled Guildford to overcome a loophole in which police pensions decrease in value for every year an officer serves continuously beyond 30 years.Bano said she objected to Guildford's reappointment and claims she was followed by security at a policing and crime panel meeting to discuss his return, before being warned against speaking out.She also claims she was warned of being 'caught in the crossfire' after she supported the case of Rebecca Kalam against the force - a claim they deny. Former police officer Khizra Bano, who called Craig Guildford a 'massive a**e' and accused him of bullying, has said she warned West Midlands Police against taking him back when he resigned previously Craig Guildford relinquished his post on Friday after spending days rebuffing calls to quitFirearms officer Kalam successfully sued the force for harassment, sex discrimination and victimisation and won a record £820,000 payout in January 2024.Bano and Guildford further clashed during a meeting she sat in on with a colleague who had been called into his office following a spat on the force's intranet.It was during this meeting that Bano claims Guildford employed 'bullying behavior' by being belligerent and hostile and repeatedly asking if she was 'actually a police officer.'Bano told The Times of the incident: 'He said that nobody had ever spoken to him like this before and I said, 'Maybe they should have and you wouldn't be such a massive a**e'.' Guildford had decided her conduct should be 'referred for independent consideration' and Bano spent the next eight months under investigation for misconduct before it was dropped on medical grounds.She retired soon after, claiming she had suffered discrimination and victimisation for raising 'uncomfortable truths'.Bano, who is autistic, settled with the force last year and was awarded a six-figure sum on the grounds of alleged victimisation and discrimination. She withdrew her claims for sex and race discrimination. West Midlands Police denied the claims and settled without admitting liability. Bano, who had 22 years experience and was the force's highest-ranking Asian female officer, brought an employment tribunal action in 2024 against the chief constable Simon Foster (pictured), the Labour police and crime commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands, was condemned as 'weak' for not firing Chief Constable Craig Guildford in the days after the Home Secretary and MPs called for him to step downAsked for her thoughts on Guildford's resignation yesterday, Bano said the chief constable should not have returned to his role after stepping down the first time.She said: 'The force's reputation has been badly damaged because of him. If he thought anything about the officers and staff at West Midlands police, or the public, he would have stood down earlier.'Guildford finally relinquished his post on Friday after spending days rebuffing widespread calls to quit, including from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who said she had lost confidence in him over the controversy.He now faces a possible misconduct investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), after a report 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 last November. Guildford is also said to planning to sue 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 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. Despite the scandal surrounding him, Guildford was allowed to depart on Friday with his full pension by Simon Foster, the area's police and crime commissioner (PCC) and the only person with the power to sack the chief if he had wished to do so.He went on to praise Guildford's 'honour' and many 'positive achievements and contributions' - comments that have seen him condemned by campaigners and politicians as 'weak', with calls for Foster to now also step down. Pro-Palestine protesters gather outside the stadium ahead of the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv game in November last yearConservative leader Kemi Badenoch led the outcry against Guildford and Foster by saying: '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.'Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism added: 'Under Craig Guildford's leadership, West Midlands Police lied and obfuscated, victim-blaming Jews instead of taking on the Islamists.'His retirement, after the pitiful failure of West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster to sack him, should result in the resignation of Mr Foster as well.'Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Foster was 'too weak to act' and called Guildford's move to retire 'simply not good enough'. A spokesperson for West Midlands Police, referring to Bano as Khizra Dhindsa, said: 'WMP has made significant progress over the last few years in addressing improper behaviour.'We know officers are more confident and better supported to make internal reports, and we are disciplining and dismissing officers who engage in discriminatory behaviour, or otherwise breach our high professional standards.'However, WMP will resolutely defend any unfair allegations of discrimination made against it.'Ms Dhindsa's claims for sex and race discrimination were previously dismissed by a Tribunal and withdrawn. 'Her most recent claims were in relation to victimisation and disability discrimination. These claims against West Midlands Police have also now been withdrawn.'We are sorry that Ms Dhindsa is no longer a serving officer. We thank her for her service with WMP and wish her well in the future.'
