Knife Angel arrives in Redcar
Cleveland Police provided a police escort as the thought-provoking Knife Angel sculpture arrived at Kirkleatham.
The sculpture which is made up of 100,000 seized knives has travelled the length and breadth of the country and was secured for a stint in this area thanks to the efforts of The Chris Cave Foundation.
Founded in 2005 by Theresa Cave, in the name of her son who was stabbed to death in 2003, The Chris Cave Foundation provides education and outreach to communities affected by violent crimes.
The Foundation were successful in a bid to secure the Knife Angel in our area and their efforts have been supported by Cleveland Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Lisa Theaker.
ACC Theaker stars in Channel 4’s Hunted as ‘The Chief’ and decided to donate her remuneration from the show to support Theresa’s charity.
The Assistant Chief Constable grew up in Redcar and attended the same school as Chris and the charity’s work is very close to her heart.
Standing at 27ft tall the sculpture is a powerful piece of contemporary art and works to make people consider the issues around knife crime and asks people to think of those whose lives have been affected.
ACC Theaker said: “Tackling knife crime and its causes is a key priority for Cleveland Police. We don’t want anyone to face the heartbreak Theresa and other families have had to endure. We need to talk about knife crime and come together to make a difference to our communities.
“The Knife Angel will spark a conversation across all ages and backgrounds and we will support this educational work alongside our preventative measures and enforcement activity, which will see offenders brought to justice.”
Theresa Cave from The Chris Cave Foundation, said: “We’re so proud to be bringing the Knife Angel to Redcar, I want to thank Lisa and the team for everything they have done for us and I look forward to working together in the future.”