Slough: Anti-violent crime Knife Angel sculpture arrives

A sculpture made from knives has arrived in Slough in a bid to raise awareness about violent crime.

Standing 27ft (8m) high, the Knife Angel is made from about 100,000 bladed weapons collected through knife amnesty bins from 43 police forces.

It features messages from families of the victims of knife crime engraved on its wings.

Abdi, who lost his brother to knife crime, said the sculpture will be a "reality check" for people.

"It's painful to see that knife crime is still on the rise, so many young people are losing their lives," Abdi told the BBC.

He said the number of collected bladed weapons that make up the angel is "a symbol of how devastating knife crime is".

Abdi also works with the Slough group Aik Saath, teaching young people about the dangers and consequences of knife crime.

"We need to go to schools and speak to these young people and let the parents also get involved and raise awareness."

The Knife Angel, which took two years to make, was created by the British Ironwork Centre in 2017 and will stand at the Arbour Park Stadium throughout January.

Matthew Barber is police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley and was at the launch of the sculpture.

"The whole point of the Knife Angel is about galvanising that support across agencies," he said, adding that police are also visiting schools.

He added: "This is a catalyst to get those conversations going but what we need is a long term shift to make sure we can make a change in the town for the future."

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