Shropshire sculpture making a point against knife crime
Hundreds of knives were added to a 26-foot statue in Shropshire as part of a campaign to take weapons off the streets.
The Knife Angel sculpture at the British Ironwork Centre, in Oswestry, saw the latest addition of 250 knives from the region.
The national 'save a life, surrender your knife' campaign saw 36 blades handed in from Shrewsbury, along with 43 from Telford.
Those, along with hundreds from across the West Mercia Police force region, were added to the sculpture.
Clive Knowles, chairman of the British Ironwork Centre, said: "West Mercia and Warwickshire have been a huge support since the very beginning of our campaign.
"The latest delivery of 250 knives gets us that bit closer to reaching 100,000 knives off the streets of the UK."
Superintendent Daryn Elton, of West Mercia Police, said: "While this particular initiative has finished We will continue to remind people of the dangers of carrying knife and take action against those who choose to do so." The initiative ran from 27 July to 19 August and gave anyone the chance to surrender a knife anonymously.
carrying a knife the opportunity to surrender it anonymously at one of six surrender bins located at stations around the West Mercia policing area.
The campaign happened just days and weeks after a fatal stabbing of a teenager in Meole Brace, in Shrewsbury.
Michael Warham, 16, from Liverpool, was attacked and found in Wayford Drive, shortly before 10pm on August 1.
He had suffered a stab wound to the chest and died at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on August 4.
This week, Declan Graves, 19, also from Liverpool, is expected to appear in Stafford Crown Court to make a plea having been charged with the murder.
Anyone who has information about someone carrying a knife or committing a knife crime should call 101 or in an emergency call 999.
Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org
