Come along to the Knife Angel opening ceremony

Hertfordshire Constabulary and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council are delighted to invite the public to the opening ceremony of the Knife Angel when it arrives in Welwyn Garden City next week.

The Knife Angel is a 27-foot sculpture crafted from more than 100,000 knives and blades confiscated by the UK's 43 police forces. It regularly travels around the country and was designed and created by Alfie Bradley at the British Ironwork Centre.

The sculpture aims to raise awareness about the consequences of knife crime and violence and to spark conversations about the need for social change and peace. 

There will be a month-long programme of intensive anti-violence youth engagement within Welwyn Hatfield and across the county.

An opening ceremony will take place in Howardsgate on Wednesday 1 October at 5.30pm.

The ceremony will be attended by local dignitaries and will feature a musical performance by Everybody Loves Music, an inclusive programme for young people aged 10 to 30.

Welwyn Hatfield Chief Inspector Pete Frost said “We are thrilled to be hosting the Knife Angel throughout all of October and we want to invite the public along to what will be a very special event.

“The ceremony will mark of an important month of increased knife crime awareness across Welwyn Hatfield and the wider county. Young people attending the ceremony will also be given the chance to sign up to become Anti-Violence Champions. This is an important part of the Knife Angel initiative as it means you will help to keep its legacy going. This is the first time Knife Angel has ever visited Hertfordshire and we hope to see a great turnout for this special event.”

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Councillor Sandreni Bonfante, said: “We are proud to be working alongside Hertfordshire Constabulary to bring the Knife Angel to Welwyn Hatfield for the first time, and I would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen. The opening ceremony will be a powerful occasion, and we hope as many people as possible will join us in marking the start of this important month.

“Alongside the ceremony, there will be a programme of inspiring events throughout October designed to raise awareness, spark conversations and encourage positive change. Together, we can make a real difference in tackling knife crime and creating a safer future for our young people.”

To find out more about the Knife Angel and view the calendar of events to get involved with, visit herts.police.uk/knifeangel. You can also sign up to become an Anti-Violence Champion.