Education call to future host cities as Knife Angel returns home
Towns and cities that want to host Shropshire's knife angel sculpture must agree to run an intensive education programme alongside the visit.
The statue, made from confiscated or surrendered weapons from across the UK, has been on a six-month tour of cities including Liverpool, Hull, Coventry and Birmingham.
Now it has returned home to the British Ironwork Centre near Oswestry for some "TLC" and to allow visitors to the centre to see it.
Created by sculptor Alfie Bradley, the Knife Angel was part of the centre's Save a Life Surrender Your Knife campaign to take weapons off the streets. This has included building knife bins that are now in place in cities and airports countrywide.
Tens of thousands of knives, donated by police forces in Britain, were used to build the angel. Some of the blades have since been engraved by families in memory of loved ones.
Clive Knowles, chairman of the British Ironwork Centre, said that dozens of towns and cities had expressed interest in hosting the sculpture and talks were now going ahead about the logistics of moving it.
"We are asking those who want to host the Knife Angel, whether local authorities, police forces or cathedrals, to agree to run a 28-day, intensive programme of anti-knife crime education with young people.
"These have been very successful in cities so far."
Mr Knowles said it was important to ensure the sculpture was in tip top condition to carry on the UK tour.
"Transporting such a large and heavy work of art and lifting it into position will take its toll and so we just want to ensure that the Knife Angel is safe and give it some TLC," he said.
