WATCH: Knife Angel sculpture in new display as 'symbol of peace'

And now the Knife Angel has taken pride of place in the Midlands on its tour of the country.

The 27ft high statue was unveiled in Birmingham's Victoria Square on Wednesday morning.

It was created by artist Alfie Bradley at the British Ironwork Centre, near Oswestry in Shropshire, out of knives donated by police forces across the UK.

It will remain in the square, outside Birmingham Council House and Birmingham Town Hall for the next four weeks.

Sculptor Alfie Bradley, from Oswestry, said it was "absolutely fantastic" to have his work featured in the city where his grandparents are from.

The 29-year-old said: "It's absolutely fantastic.

"Half of my family are from Birmingham – my grandparents are from Birmingham, Kings Heath – and I've always wanted it here and it's in such a lovely place.

"A few people told me this is the best place to put it and I feel very honoured – it's every sculptor's dream to have it in such a lovely area.

"It took me about a year and a half to make it because I had to bleach and blunt the knives one by one and had to wait for the knives – it was quite a long process.

"I'm very happy. It all went very smoothly and it looks absolutely fantastic.

WATCH: Highlights as Knife Angel revealed in city

"It's [knife crime] happening more and more in the last few years. It's been ridiculous so I think we need to have this.

"I've had so much positive feedback which proves it does work and it makes youths think twice about doing anything bad."

Mr Bradley has received praise for his efforts to raise awareness of the effects of knife crime.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson, who has helped to organise the visit, said it was a "true work of art".

He said: "Knife crime, violent crime, is rising in this area and it's deeply concerning amongst young people.

"The vast majority in the West Midlands are not getting involved in violence – it's a significant minority.

"We have to put in place tough policing measures and the chief constable and I have been working on that.

"We can't arrest our way out of this problem.

"What we have to do is look at the young people and why they are getting involved in violence.

"What we need to do is intervene and attract them away from that violence and take them down the path of being respectful of each other.

"The angel itself is not solution – the solutions are varied and wide and it needs a contribution from councils, from police, from everyone.

"I saw it being constructed out in Oswestry and West Midlands Police donated hundreds – if not thousands – of the knives you see.

"What we have is a true work of art, which is a symbol of peace constructed from weapons of violence."

Birmingham Council leader Ian Ward marked the arrival of the sculpture by highlighting the level of crime in the city.

He said: "Ten Birmingham lives – five of them teenagers – have been brutally lost as a result of knife crime in the last 12 months.

"And that's the heartbreaking reality – the rise in knife crime is about human tragedy.

"Knife crime is a national tragedy – across the country we see more horrific incidents almost on a daily basis."

Programmes will take place across Birmingham during the Knife Angel's four week stay in a bid to highlight knife crime.

"So much more can be done with the right support," he added.

"If we do not address these causes people will continue to lose their lives. We must not let our young people down.

"Let's ensure we use the next four weeks to inspire everyone to do more to safeguard our children and young people and bring them together."

Clive Knowles, chairman of the British Ironworks Centre in Shropshire, said they were "enormously grateful" to be able to place the angel in Birmingham.

He said: "We're absolutely enormously grateful for Ian Ward for giving it such a beautiful and prestigious location and now we're, of course, reliant on Birmingham to do the initiatives – youth anti-violence workshops – that they've committed themselves to do which we are very grateful for.

"And Birmingham is actually, in my personal opinion, generally shaming London with them not stepping forward to host the angel."