Renewed call for Knife Angel to take up space on Trafalgar Square

Two people were stabbed outside the Buttermarket nightclub in Shrewsbury on New Years Day, with two more stabbings later in the day elsewhere in Shrewsbury.

Another person was stabbed in Telford the same day, and it came after four unconnected fatal stabbings in London on New Year's Eve.

The Knife Angel at the British Ironwork Centre near Oswestry, built by sculptor Alfie Bradley, was constructed out of knives from police forces across the country to highlight knife crime in the UK.

Chair of the centre Clive Knowles has long been pushing for the sculpture to be placed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in the capital.

The plans were knocked back in August by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who said the plinth was reserved for contemporary works of art commissioned and selected by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group.

Mr Knowles has this week issued a renewed plea to Mr Khan to re-consider his stance after the latest incidents.

He said: “The last week just show how big of a problem knife crime is for this country, and street violence as a whole.

“The attacks in London and in Shropshire show the problem there is, and I want to make a renewed call to Mr Khan to re-consider his position after what has happened.

“After what happened in London last week, and the fact forces in London gave the most knives to the campaign, it should be in London and in Trafalgar Square to have the most impact.”

Other cities across the UK have expressed a desire to take the angel if London continues to decline, and creator Mr Bradley also admitted he would like to see it in Manchester.

A plinth is being made for the sculpture to sit on at the ironwork centre, and this week Mr Knowles has visited West Mercia Police headquarters to collect a trailer load of knives to help make the plinth.