Knife angel arrives in Plymouth

It's made up of 100,000 blades

A 27ft high national monument against violence and aggression made of 100,000 knives which have been surrendered or seized by police has arrived in Plymouth.

The Knife Angel which is situated between the Civic Centre and Guildhall sculpture serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that violence can have on individuals, families and communities.

It will be in Plymouth for a month and it’s visit is designed to create space for reflection, conversation and education and focus on the prevention of knife crime.

Knifes handed in during knife amnesties or  seized by more than 40 police forces have been used in the sculpture, which has toured around the country.

Among the speakers at a special ceremony on Tuesday to mark the arrival of the Knife Angel in Plymouth, instigated by the city council, was Becky Dustan whose brother, Michael Riddiough-Allen, 32, died after being stabbed with a knife outside the Eclipse nightclub in Bodmin on April 30 2023.

In a moving speech Becky, who has since founded a knife crime education charity with family members called Mikes Trust, talked about the effect of knife crime not only on the families and friends of the victims but also those of the perpetrator and communities.

Plymouth City Councillor for community safety Sally Haydon (Lab, St Budeaux) said it was a real honour for Plymouth to host this “powerful sculpture”. She said every blade of the Knife Angel represented “a moment of harm, a moment of fear, a moment where a life or a family has changed forever”.

“When you stand in front of the Knife Angel you cannot ignore the message, it remind us of the real impact of violence.”

She said Plymouth had a low level of knife crime compared with other cities but the monument was there to educate people and bring them together to talk and share their fears and experiences.

There will be a month long programme surrounding the Knife Angel with partners from across the city delivering school workshops, community conversations, sessions focused on violence against women and girls, late night economy outreach, youth activities, and opportunities for pledges and reflection. 

The aim is to build understanding, challenge myths, encourage safe choices and promote early access to help where it is needed.  

Teacher Rachael Hudson of St Boniface Catholic School for boys brought along a group of students to see the Knife Angel. She said: “Some of the boys have read about the Knife Angel coming here and they hear about the dangers of society at the moment. Bringing them here makes it real I think and the fact that these knives have been collected by 43 different constabularies is really thought provoking for them,”

Arezoo Farahzad, who works with young people , said the sculpture sent such a powerful message to all young people in the community, their parents and families,

“It really is a stunning piece of art, what a lovely way to convey such a powerful message turning a negative into a positive. I hope everyone who comes here sees the power in it and realises that our future lies in a much safer society without any violence.”

The visit is funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and is utilising funding from the Community Safety Partnership’s Serious Violence Duty fund.  

The Knife Angel will be lit up at night.

Mark Oliver, chair of Churches Together in Plymouth, said he loved that the Knife Angel was so massive.

“This is the point, in knife crime, violence and aggression we are talking about something that is usually done in secret, in the shadows, now we are bringing it into the light, we can’t hide this thing.”