Knife Angel
A national monument to highlight the dangers of knife crime is coming to County Durham for the first time.
The Knife Angel – constructed using 100,000 seized blades and weighing in at 3.5tonnes – will officially be installed in Newton Aycliffe on June 1, 2025.
How can I get involved?
The sculpture will be installed in the town centre’s mall throughout June with a whole calendar of activities planned for the community.
Schoolchildren will be invited to get involved with special visits to the angel and poster and photography competitions are also planned.
A working group is currently organising the finer details of the angel’s arrival and anyone who wants to get involved is asked to contact Sgt Boyd by emailing [email protected] or PCSO Michaele Dale at [email protected]
What's been going on behind the scenes?
Sergeant Andy Boyd has been visiting primary schools in Newton Aycliffe to talk about the Knife Angel which is coming to the town in June.
As part of the month-long visit, Year 5 and 6 pupils have been taking part in special assemblies to learn more about the angel and why it is pointless to carry a knife.
The youngsters have also been getting creative after being tasked with designing their own poster for the campaign.
This is what some of our teachers have said about the campaign so far:
Amy Hubery - Higher Level TA - St Mary's RC Primary School - "We are really excited to take part in the knife angel competition, the children can't wait to take part in something which will raise awareness of such an important issue in our local area."
Mrs Dodds - Stephenson Way Academy and Nursery School:
“We are keen to work with the police on promoting the Knife Angel visit to Newton Aycliffe. We believe it is crucial that the young people in our local community are aware of the dangers surrounding knife crime and the terrible impact it can have upon victims and their families. Educating children at primary age is vital and we fully support this programme.”
Kathryn Legge - Safeguarding Lead - Sugar Hill Primary School:
"Safeguarding our children is a shared responsibility. The Knife Angel coming to Newton Aycliffe and our close association with Newton Aycliffe Police, will further support us to teach our children strategies and tactics to manage peer pressure and difficult choices in life. We want all of our children to know how to keep themselves and others safe and where to go for support and safeguarding advice.
"At Sugar Hill Primary we will be linking our safeguarding messages to the Knife Angel and ensuring children know that knife crime will always have significant consequences and affect many more people than the victim and perpetrator. Our safeguarding messages at Sugar Hill always stress the positives, that all friendships should be supportive and respectful. We strongly feel this work will empower children with the skills they need to have challenging conversations with their friends and grown ups when the safety of themselves or others is compromised by making the wrong choices.”
'Pointless' campaign
To coincide with the Knife Angel's arrival to Newton Aycliffe in June, the force will be running a month-long initiative branded ‘Pointless’ to raise awareness of knife crime – the pointless risk, choice, legal consequences and emotional impact on loved ones.
More information will be released shortly.
About the Knife Angel
The sculpture was created by artist Alfie Bradley, from The British Ironwork Centre.
Using blunted blades handed in during knife amnesties held by police forces across the country, the angel has been helping to start crucial conversations about the negative effect of violence and particularly knife crime since it began touring the country in 2018.
To find out more about the Knife Angel visit www.britishironworkcentre.co.uk/knife-angel