People are buzzing about a bee sculpture created from confiscated firearms
A sculputre of a bee made from confiscated firearms has returned to the Shropshire centre where it was created.
The Manchester Bee was created from weapons gathered from the city of Manchester by the police.
It spent the last four weeks travelling across the whole of Derbyshire, as part of a project organised by Derbyshire Police Constabulary.
The Bee created by the British Ironworks Centre near Oswestry in collaboration with Shropshire artist Luke Kite has now completed two tours of schools and colleges, the first throughout West Mercia, prior to it leaving for Derbyshire.
The success in both these constabularies has now launched a wider effort by the Ironworks to encourage forces across the UK to do the same.
Donald Goudie from Derbyshire Police said: "In Matlock this week alone we had 700 people within two hours talking to us about the Bee and its meaning - it’s proven to be an excellent engagement tool, we’ve never experienced those numbers previously."
"Derbyshire Police would like to use the Bee again in the summer, longer days and brighter nights would help hit the nighttime economy too.
Clive Knowles from the Ironworks said: "The Bee is so easy to use, it’s really costs nothing and the forces all have a vehicle with a towing knuckle - so really there’s no hurdles to cross - in order to start using the Bee in the polices anti Violence presentations.
"It really draws the attention of youths especially once they know it’s the only ever educational sculpture to have been made in the UK from firearms."
"Shropshire has now two monuments travelling the entirety of the UK and both deliver a very impactive lesson in anti violence with the police spearheading the messaging and how’s it’s delivered.
"It really is something Shropshire nationally should be proud of."