Shropshire's Knife Angel heading out on the road for the very first time

Two and a half years after it was created from 100,000 knives by sculptor Alfie Bradley, the Angel will head to Liverpool.

It will spend Christmas at the city’s Anglican Cathedral.

The sculpture was made from knives donated through police force amnesties, and made as a national monument against violence and aggression, and as a memorial to those who have lost their lives to knife crime.

The 27ft sculpture, which took a year and a half to build, has been housed at the The British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry since it was built, and now a campaign group from Liverpool want to take it to the city to raise awareness of knife crime.

Mr Bradley, who has worked on a number of other sculptures, said it is set to serve its purpose.

He said: “It is going to be amazing to see it go on the road, because that was what it was built for.

“It was to raise awareness and will be serving its purpose. We have had some great feedback about it going on the road, and I hope this is the start of a tour for the Angel.”

The campaign in Liverpool is being run by Rob Jackson, an A&E nurse, who has spent years going into schools and warning children of the dangers of knife crime.

He has also sung at the cathedral for 30 years, and has organised the plans to take the angel to Liverpool.

Operation

It is set to be transported in a large operation on Thursday, and will be placed outside the cathedral over the Christmas period and will be illuminated by lights.

The project is being funded by organisations such as Everton FC in the Community, and Mr Jackson is delighted the plans are coming to fruition.

He added: “It has been a lot of work to make this happen, but Clive Knowles and the people at the centre have been fantastic.

“I first saw the angel after popping into the ironworks centre, and I thought it would be fantastic in Liverpool

“It is going to be a superb sight when we see it outside the cathedral later this week.”

The angel will be surrounded by fencing and will be guarded by security and CCTV cameras.

Over the festive period a number of services will take place regarding knife crime, with the families of victims who have written memorial messages on the angel being invited to Liverpool.

It was previously hoped that the angel would travel to London and sit in Trafalgar Square, to highlight the knife crime epidemic in the capital.

However that move never materialised, but centre chairman Mr Knowles is hoping the success of the Liverpool move may make London Mayor Sadiq Kahn think again.

He added: “It is great that it is finally going on the road, and it is going to be some sight to see it leave Oswestry.

“It was built for this and it is serving its purpose. Liverpool have stepped up and taken the angel and I would make another appeal to the London major to have a re-think because of the rise in knife crime.”