Knife Angel could end up in Trafalgar Square after all

Appeals for the huge sculpture - created from knives confiscated or handed into police forces across the UK - to go on the fourth plinth, have fallen on deaf ears.

But now the Bishop of Edmonton in north London, Right Reverend Rob Wickham, has agreed to speak to colleagues to see if it could stand in front of the St Martins-in-the-fields church on the other side of the square.

Millions of tourists flock to Trafalgar Square and chairman of the British Ironwork Centre, where the sculpture was made, says it would be the perfect setting.

The work of art, made by sculptor Alfie Bradley, is currently in Liverpool where it has stood outside the Anglican Cathedral over Christmas and New Year.

Later this week it will begin its journey east to Hull, to take up a spot in the former city of culture's Queen's Gardens.

Clive Knowles, chair of the British Ironwork Centre, travelled to Hull recently to see preparations for the knife angel's arrival.

He and was surprised to be awarded a certificate of commendation from Humberside police for his 'surrender your knife, save a life' campaign, building knife bins for towns and cities across the country.

"It was such a shock to receive it," he said.

"Humberside is leading the way in the work it is doing with schools to prevent knife crime.

"Its education programme is a model that I think every force should follow.

"Humberside police were the first force to show interest in hosting the sculpture and officers visited us last year, along with anti-knife campaigner Kayleigh Pepper, whose brother died in a knife attack in Hull."

This weekend Mr Knowles attended a moving farewell service for the knife angel in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. It was there that he was talking to the Bishop of Edmonton.

"The London bishops are very keen to see the knife angel in the capital," he said.

"The Bishop of Edmonton is already involved in the campaign against knife crime and in fact wears a cross made from recovered weapons. He is to talk to St Martins-in-the-fields to try to get the knife angel to be situated there. So it may well get to Trafalgar Square after all."

After its time on Humberside the knife angel will move onto Coventry to spend Easter at the city's famous cathedral.