A MONUMENT made out of 100,000 knives and blades that have been surrendered to police has been erected in Middlesbrough Central Square.
The Knife Angel was created by the British Ironwork Centre and stands at 27 feet.
Cleveland Police and the founder of the Chris Cave foundation, Theresa Cave, organised for the angel sculpture to be brought to the town.
The Knife Angel
Ms Cave, who set up the foundation in 2005 after her son was fatally stabbed in 2003, has been campaigning against knife crime for the past 16 years.
Chris' name is engraved on one of the blades that make the sculpture alongside other names and messages from loved ones.
She said: “It has been a really emotionally day – there are a lot of victims to be remembered and many reasons to have the Knife Angel to be here.
“Following Chris' death, I promised I would make some good come out of something so bad and that is exactly what this sculpture does.
"I hope that people will stop and think about the impact of knife crime, particularly young people."
Theresa Cave
The angel aims to educate on the impact of knife crime, and throughout its stay there will be a range of talks and presentations available to the community and the surrounding areas.
The presentations are aimed at youths and will be held throughout August in Middlesbrough Central Library. More information on this is available on the Cleveland Police website.
Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: “It is a terrifying and frightening day, but also a day of hope.
“We thought that this would be a positive step and would raise awareness as part of a movement to deter people from carrying knives.”
The Knife Angel
Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger added: “The arrival of the Knife Angel is an emotional time for victims’ families, but I know that bringing it to Cleveland is so important for them as it stands as a beacon for educating people on knife crime.
"People will talk about the cost of bringing the sculpture
The monument is on display in Middlesbrough Centre Square until Monday September 2.
Cleveland Police Chief Constable Richard Lewis added: “I want this to be a message to people that we will go back to stop and search, get people into court for carrying weapons and face justice."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here