Steel city may host blades sculpture

SHEFFIELD COUNCIL has revealed it is keen to host a towering knife angel sculpture made from more than 100,000 surrendered blades.

The local authority says it is looking into whether it will be possible to host the eight-metre tall statue, which is currently in Hull, following calls from the grandmother of a Sheffield murder victim to bring it to the city.

Anne Gray, whose 19-yearold grandson Jamie Stuart was stabbed to death in the city in 2011, had called on the city to host the sculpture.

Councillor Jim Steinke, the council’s cabinet member for community safety, said: “This is a very powerful statement of the impact of knife crime on communities and of how community responses can make a real difference in reducing it.

“In our commitment to tackling issues around knife crime we are keen to promote this important message by showcasing the Knife Angel sculpture in Sheffield and we are looking in to whether this is possible.”

The National Monument Against Violence and Aggression, as the sculpture is officially entitled, is currently on a tour of the UK, having appeared in Hull and Liverpool. The British Ironwork Centre, which created the eyecatching monument, has written to local authorities and cathedrals across the country, including those in Sheffield, inviting them to play host.

South Yorkshire Police, which is working with the council and other partners to reduce knife crime, following nine fatal stabbings last year, also welcomed the idea of the Knife Angel visiting Sheffield.

Detective Superintendent Una Jennings said: “Anything that helps us raise awareness of knife enabled crime and its consequences can only be a good thing.”