Now Birmingham asks to host Shropshire's Knife Angel
Birmingham City Council wants to host Shropshire's Knife Angel following a spike in knife crime in the second city.
Over the weekend, three men were attacked in a stabbing incident in a nightclub and actor Idris Elba spoke out for something to be done in the city.
Leader of Birmingham City Council, Councillor Ian Ward, has contacted the British Ironwork Centre, saying the authority is keen to host the Angel and will be discussing the formal internal process of getting it there in the coming weeks.
Clive Knowes from the centre said: "With the recent rise in the number of knife crimes committed in Birmingham, we are exceptionally thrilled by this news and will be strongly campaigning for the Angel to be hosted there as soon as possible.
"Currently, the Angel is set to be hosted in Coventry outside the cathedral ruins for the entirety of the Easter period, with many other cities across the UK stepping forward to show interest in hosting the sculpture next.
"Despite this, we are hoping to formally approach Coventry to ask them if they would be willing to only host the sculpture up until, and including, the Easter weekend so it can make its way to Birmingham as a priority, given the severity of the city’s current situation."
In the coming weeks, Mr Knowles will be meeting the West Midlands Crime Commissioner, who covers both the Birmingham and Coventry area, to discuss the logistics of the sculpture’s possible move from Coventry to Birmingham.
There have been a locations touted for the sculpture to be hosted so far including Birmingham Cathedral, the Bullring and outside the city council.
