Last chance to see powerful memorial to knife crime victims
It's the final day for people to get a view of a powerful tribute to all those affected by knife crime.
The Knife Angel will be appearing in Gallery Square in Walsall for the final time today before it moves on, with the statue scheduled to be in Harrogate in Yorkshire in February.
Since it was unveiled at the start of December, the Angel has cast a powerful shadow over the square and nearby New Art Gallery and been seen by thousands of people.
It has also been the centre point for events such as a faith walk, which saw members of the different faith communities in Walsall join with members of the public, emergency service leaders and Mark Brindley, founder of the James Brindley Foundation, in a peaceful walk from Digbeth Street to the Angel.
The 27ft tall statue, made of 100,000 bladed weapons, has toured the country as a way of discussing and debating the dangers of knife crime and the effects it has on people's lives, from the people who have died or been injured to the families and friends of those affected.
Mark Brindley had been at the launch of the Angel on December 1 and said the statue reminded him of not only his son, who died after being stabbed in June 2017, but of everyone who has died as a result of knife crime.
He said at the time: "This statue is for James, but it's also not just for him, but for all the people who have lost their lives to this blight on society.
"I feel that in regards to knife crime, we can no longer rely on government and the key agencies to tackle this alone as it's too big and it's going to take every member of society to take a stand and do their bit."
British Ironwork Centre chairman Clive Knowles, who worked to create the artwork, said bringing it back to its spiritual home in the Midlands and spoke about what he wanted it to achieve.
He said: "It was always meant to be a catalyst to start conversations and inspire additional programmes and initiatives to suppress and push back violence and the more we can do to raise the subject and have a louder voice over our discontent about violence, the better."
The Knife Angel is scheduled to appear in Sandwell and Dudley and in Wolverhampton in the next year, although dates have not yet been confirmed.
To find out more about the Angel and where it will be going next, go to britishironworkcentre.co.uk/the-knife-angel-official/
