Knife Angel's vigil in Northampton town centre postponed until next year

The haunting figure made from 100,000 knives was due to stand in the town centre this June.
By Alastair Ulke
Published 12th May 2020, 12:05 BST
Updated 12th May 2020, 12:08 BST
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The appearance of the internationally famous Knife Angel in Northampton town centre has been postponed until next year.

On June 1, the 27-foot-tall National Monument Against Violence and Aggression was set to appear outside the All Saints Church and stand watch for an entire month.

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The haunting statue made of over 100,000 knives is an internationally famous sculpture that stands as a graphic reminder of the size and severity of knife crime in the UK.

The 27-foot tall statue made from over 100,000 confiscated knives was set to appear in Northampton town centre.The 27-foot tall statue made from over 100,000 confiscated knives was set to appear in Northampton town centre.
The 27-foot tall statue made from over 100,000 confiscated knives was set to appear in Northampton town centre.

But now, the Angel's visit to Northampton has been postponed until next year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Chronicle & Echo understands that the Knife Angel will now instead appear for 61 days in the town between May 1 and June 30, 2021.

It comes after the scale of knife-crime in Northamptonshire was laid bare in a trial in November 2019, when five young men were jailed for more than 100 years between them for the brutal killing of 23-year-old Reece Ottaway.

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As part of the sentencing, a report by Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Behan was read to the judge that spelled out how knives have become a plague in our county.

The Knife Angel's creator, Alfie Bradley, describes it as "a memorial to those whose lives have been affected by knife crime". Credit James Hardisty.The Knife Angel's creator, Alfie Bradley, describes it as "a memorial to those whose lives have been affected by knife crime". Credit James Hardisty.
The Knife Angel's creator, Alfie Bradley, describes it as "a memorial to those whose lives have been affected by knife crime". Credit James Hardisty.

The report showed how Northamptonshire Police booked 888 knife-related offences in Northamptonshire between July 2018 and 2019.

And in 2018, Northamptonshire Police convicted 323 people for carrying a knife. This amounts to an increase of 78 per cent over a five-year period - the second-highest increase in the UK.