Home Community The Ironwork Centre Knife Angel Visits Wrexham

The Ironwork Centre Knife Angel Visits Wrexham

by Adam Howarth, Editor
The Knife Angel

If you managed to come to Queens Square in the centre of Wrexham and see the Knife Angel, you’ll be well aware just how awe-inspiringy impressive the statue is.

Standing at over 20 feet tall and consisting of approximately 100,000 knives. The statue is a grim testimony to the horrendous reality that is knife crime.

The Knife Angel

What Is the Knife Angel?

The Knife Angel, or the National Monument Against Violence and Aggression, is made from seized and surrendered blades. The British Ironwork Centre created the Knife Angel and its concept following an increased prevalence of knife crime in 2014. Clive Knowles, the Chairman of the British Ironwork Centre, developed the idea of creating an Angel made from knives to highlight the issue of knife crime, but more importantly, all forms of violence plaguing the nation. Alfie Bradley, a team member at the Centre, was tasked with sculpting the Angel alongside the Ironworks team. It took four years to make, stands 27 feet tall (8.2 metres) and weighs 3. tons.

What Is the Knife Angel Made From?

It consists of approximately 100,000 knives and blades taken from the streets of Britain. In collaboration with all 43 police constabularies in the UK, the blades were collected through knife amnesties and surrenders across the country. The blades were then safely transported to the Centre where they blunted and sterilised them before use. A number of weapons even arrived in evidence packaging and included small traces of blood.

Messages of Hope

Invitations went to victims’ families to engrave some of the blades with messages of hope, love and disbelief. You can now see them on the Angel’s wings. The Knife Angel consists of every kind of bladed weapon you can think of. From penknives and meat cleavers to kukri knives and also samurai swords. The Ironworks funded and provided all knife banks, only asking that each constabulary committed to holding an amnesty or a surrender campaign to raise awareness and also better educate their communities about knife crime.

Taken by AC Creative
The Knife Angel at night, courtesy of AC Creative

Wrexham Council

Wrexham County Borough Council, and North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin arranged for the Knife Angel’s Wrexham visit to coincide with a month-long awareness campaign. There’s a common misconception knife crime is rife in Wrexham. However, there has been a marked decrease in incidents over the past few years, also knife crime in Wrexham remains low.

Find out more at britishironworkcentre.co.uk/showareas/ the-knife-angel-official. Share your story on social media by using the following hashtags:

#britishironworkcentre

#knifeangel

#savealifesurrenderyourknife

Finally, to keep up to date with the community, click here.




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