27-foot high Ely angel aiming to spark chat around knife crime
The knife angel has officially been unveiled
A 27-foot high angel has been unveiled in Cambridgeshire and is hoping to drum up conversation amongst young people around the "ripple effect" of knife crime.
The monument - made up of more than 100,000 confiscated knives and blades - is on show in Ely, which project organisers say is the first time it has visited the county.
It's been created by sculptor Alfie Bradley at the British Ironwork Centre to raise awareness of knife crime and as a result, the wider impact of violence on communities.
"Serious violence is clearly underpinned by people carrying knives, not least because of the damage a knife can do," Simon Megicks, chief constable at Cambridgeshire Police, said.
"It's about prompting conversations (around knife crime).
"We, through our own systems, know of some people who carry knives but not all people, so if you know those carrying knives or those bent on hurting others, please tell us and we will respond."
The knife angel - which will stand on Palace Green until June 17 - carries knives collected by police forces across the UK and aims to act as both a memorial to victims and a symbol to make people stop and reflect on the effect knife crime can have on communities.
It has been paid for mostly by National Lottery funding as well as help from local businesses.
The project is being delivered by Soham Town Rangers Football Club alongside partners including the Cambridgeshire Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and Ely Cathedral.
"We know this has been around the country and some of the education programmes that go with it, so schoolchildren will have education around prevention," Darryl Preston, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's PCC, said.
"So for me, anything we can do to reduce and stamp out the blight that is knife crime and violence, I'm going to fully support."
The knife angel's visit to Cambridgeshire coincides with a knife amnesty, which encourages people to safely surrender weapons.
It also follows the recent fatal stabbing of 16-year-old teenager Baye Bireme Fall in Peterborough last month.
An 18-year-old man pleaded not guilty to Baye's murder, while a 15-year-old boy - who can't be named for legal reasons - was not asked to enter a plea at a hearing this week.
Superintendent Olly Warsop - area commander for Peterborough and Fenland - said the force's main aim is to "work with people in education, local government, to try and get to the root causes for why young people think they have to carry a knife or why they feel unsafe."
Workshops and programmes will take place in local secondary schools in June as the knife angel stays in the county, to help support children with learning around prevention and early intervention.
“The students will gain a great deal from participating in these sessions," Lis Every, chair of the East Cambs Community Safety Partnership, said.
“We are grateful that knife crime in Cambridgeshire is low compared to the national level, however, no one should underestimate the impact it has.”
Quinton Green - who was stabbed in the 1990s - is the founder of Knife Crime Victim Support which helps guide children and young people away from making misinformed choices.
He's aware there can be challenges around speaking to young people about knife crime, but it is possible.
"When young people are asking those questions, we can have open dialogue and say 'these are the risks and the results of impulsive behaviour'," he said.
"There are real results and a sense of loss, and we can talk about the ripple effect of how families have been impacted.
"It's about building trust; once we build trust with young people, they open up and we can overcome those barriers."