Knife culture has to be stopped, says Oswestry Knife Angel businessman

Clive Knowles said the 28 per cent increase in offences of the possession of a knife was alarming.

"This knife culture has to be stopped," he said.

"Police have admitted that it is out of control, it is time that the government grasped the nettle.

"We need to look at a holistic approach combining education with legislation. At the moment it seems that everyone is at a loss to know what to do."

"Each knife that is taken out on the streets could lead to the death of someone's son or daughter or someone's father," he said.

The chairman of the British Ironwork Centre near Oswestry Mr Knowles had the idea to build a work of art from knives confiscated or surrendered during a nationwide amnesty.

A Surrender a Knife, Save a Life initiative saw the the company provided knife bins to police forces across the county and 100,000 knives were taken off the streets.

They were used by artist Alfie Bradley to create a huge sculpture of a knife angel, the blades providing its wings glinting in the sun its hands outstretched in despair.

"The Knife Angel was supposed to kick-start a national initiative to deal with knife crime, something that is a problem not just in the UK but across Europe," he said.

"We are still campaigning to see the sculpture on the fourth plinth in London but, with the artworks chosen until 2020 I fear we may never get that far."

Mr Knowles said that the British Ironwork Centre was doing what it could by continuing to supply knife banks.

"We can only do our bit," he said.

Recently former peace envoy, Terry Waite, added his name to those who are calling for the knife angel to go on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.

He was one of the judges for the Rotary Club Peace award which was won, jointly by the Surrender a Knife Save a Life campaign.