Commissioner welcomes Knife Angel to Newton Aycliffe

A national monument to highlight the dangers of knife crime has arrived in Newton Aycliffe.

The Knife Angel was constructed using 100,000 seized blades and weighs 3.5tonnes. It was created by artist Alfie Bradley from the British Ironwork Centre and includes blades from 43 forces in England and Wales.

It was officially installed in the County Durham town last week. The arrival of the monument kickstarts a month-long programme of awareness activity to warn of the consequences of carrying knives.

Educational workshops are being supported by Zoe McGill whose son Jack Woodley tragically lost his life to knife crime in October 2021.

The 18-year-old was attending a funfair in Houghton-le-Spring when he was attacked by ten other teenagers and stabbed.

Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Jack sadly passed away in hospital.

The ten teenagers were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Since then, Jack’s mum, Zoe McGill, has been working with Newton Aycliffe Neighbourhood Policing Team Sergeant Andy Boyd, to add her story to workshops delivered by Sgt Boyd to thousands of school children in the town.

Newton Aycliffe Neighbourhood Sergeant Andy Boyd said: “We know that knife crime ruins lives. Even in an area with relatively low knife crime where you live, we cannot afford to ignore it. One injury, one death, is one too many. That’s why we’re working hard to change attitudes toward carrying knives before it’s too late.

“To tackle knife crime across our county, we’ve been running educational programmes in schools for pupils from Year 6 to Year 11, helping them understand the real dangers of carrying a knife and the devastating impact it can have on families and communities.

“The Knife Angel is a powerful national symbol against violence, and we’re determined to use it to drive home our message that carrying a knife is pointless.”

As part of promotional activity leading up to the Knife Angel’s visit, local police officers attended schools across Newton Aycliffe to launch a poster competition sponsored by businesses in the area with the winning poster used to promote the Knife Angel’s presence.

The County Durham and Darlington PCC provided funding worth £7,500 to secure the monument’s visit to the county.

Commissioner Joy Allen said: “I am honoured to welcome this towering monument to our county. A huge amount of work has been happening behind the scenes to secure the Knife Angel’s presence here and I am deeply grateful to all involved.

“This stark and powerful memorial – standing at no less than 27 feet tall – is a visual representation of the enormity of the challenge we face as a society to eradicate knife crime and violence. Its messages of loss, grief, regret and of course hope are extremely moving.”