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Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has officially welcomed the arrival of the Knife Angel to Newton Aycliffe, kickstarting a month-long programme of awareness activity to warn of the consequences of carrying knives.
The County Durham and Darlington PCC provided funding worth £7,500 to secure the monument’s visit to the county, covering transportation costs and staging for the opening and closing ceremonies and other public events focused on the statue.
The sculpture, created by artist Alfie Bradley from the British Ironwork Centre, has been made using 100,000 blunted blades seized by police from 43 forces across England and Wales.
Weighing in at 3.5tonnes, the statue’s arrival marks the start of a month of educational and awareness activity in Newton Aycliffe schools and across the county as well as wider community engagement events. These are being delivered by the force as part of its knife prevention activities and in support of the Government’s Safer Streets mission to halve knife crime within a decade.
The educational workshops are being supported by Zoe McGill whose son Jack Woodley tragically lost his life to knife crime in October 2021.
The 18-year-old was attending a funfair in Houghton-le-Spring when he was attacked by ten other teenagers and stabbed.
Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Jack sadly passed away in hospital.
The ten teenagers were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Since then, Jack’s mum, Zoe McGill, has been working with Newton Aycliffe Neighbourhood Policing Team Sergeant Andy Boyd, to add her story to workshops delivered by Sgt Boyd to thousands of school children in the town.
Safer People Safer Places is one of six key priorities in the PCC’s new Police, Crime and Justice Plan.
Among her many commitments is a pledge to promote education as a protective factor against involvement in serious violence and to deliver against the national duty placed on all criminal justice partners to prevent serious violence and tackle the causes and impact of serious violence.
Welcoming the Knife Angel, Commissioner Joy Allen said: “I am honoured to welcome this towering monument to our county. A huge amount of work has been happening behind the scenes to secure the Knife Angel’s presence here and I am deeply grateful to all involved.
“This stark and powerful memorial – standing at no less than 27 feet tall – is a visual representation of the enormity of the challenge we face as a society to eradicate knife crime and violence. Its messages of loss, grief, regret and of course hope are extremely moving.
“So many have lost lives needlessly through violence. So many families have suffered the pain and devastation of losing people they cherish to violence – heartache and grief they will never be truly free of. Every single one of the 100,000 seized blades used in this artwork gives us a reason to do more to stop other families facing the same anguish.
“While knife crime incidents within the force area remain low, there is no room for complacency, and we must do everything possible to stop these risks escalating. The Knife Angel’s visit provides a platform to challenge the culture of violence and to stop young people from ever contemplating carrying a weapon of any kind while also helping parents and caregivers to instigate difficult conversations about why people carry knives in the first place.
“We cannot take it for granted that our young people will make the right choices. They are growing up in a world saturated by influences – some good and some not – and we must do everything in our power to guide them and help them understand the consequences of their actions.”
Newton Aycliffe Neighbourhood Sergeant Andy Boyd said: "We know that knife crime ruins lives. Even in an area with relatively low knife crime where you live, we cannot afford to ignore it. One injury, one death, is one too many. That’s why we’re working hard to change attitudes toward carrying knives before it’s too late.
"To tackle knife crime across our county, we’ve been running educational programmes in schools for pupils from Year 6 to Year 11, helping them understand the real dangers of carrying a knife and the devastating impact it can have on families and communities.
"The Knife Angel is a powerful national symbol against violence, and we’re determined to use it to drive home our message that carrying a knife is pointless."
As part of promotional activity leading up to the Knife Angel’s visit, beat officers attended schools across Newton Aycliffe to launch a poster competition sponsored by businesses in the area with the winning poster used to promote the Knife Angel’s presence.
Fundraising will be undertaken throughout the Knife Angel’s visit to secure vital funds for the purchase of life-saving bleed kits for use around Newton Aycliffe.
Ends
Picture Shows (L-R): SgtAndrew Boyd with Dionne Barrett (Gordon Gault’s mother), Zoe McGill (JackWoodley’s mother), Amy Robinson (partner of Rory Boyce), Louise Hutchinson (CraigYorke’s mother) and PCC Joy Allen
Residents are being called upon to contribute to the scrutiny meeting examining progress made to improve the justice journey for victims of crime
The hunt is on for dynamic and driven volunteers who can help provide oversight of police custody processes and the welfare of detainees.
New plans have been announced to nurture and develop the skills of volunteers who work on PCC Joy Allen's behalf.
