Police have defended the decision to ban fans of an Israeli football team from attending an away game in Birmingham after the Dutch national force reportedly claimed the move was based on false intelligence.

Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG), which brings together the council and police force, announced in October that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans would be barred from going to the Europa League match against Aston Villa on November 6 amid public safety concerns.

The move was heavily criticised, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “angered by the decision” as Downing Street pledged to try and overturn the ban, but the Israeli club ultimately decided to decline any tickets offered to its fans.

#UPDATE | With Aston Villa hosting Maccabi Tel Aviv tonight, hundreds of officers are on duty

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