Vigil to be held for second anniversary of Knife Angel visit

25 April 2024

A church service and vigil will be held in West Northamptonshire to mark the second anniversary of the Knife Angel visit and remember those who have died through knife crime and serious violence.

A time of reflection will take place at All Saints Church in Northampton on Friday, 17 May at 7.30pm, led by Father Oliver Coss, and will be followed by a candle-lit vigil on the church plaza.

Speakers at the event will include Cheri Curran, the mother of Louis-Ryan Menezes who was fatally stabbed in Northampton in 2018, and Detective Superintendent Andy Glenn, the force lead for Serious Violence. Local anti-knife crime ambassador Quinton Green will also perform a spoken word tribute ‘Where The Angels Walk’.

The Knife Angel statue, the National Symbol Against Violence and Aggression, visited Northampton in 2022 as part of its nationwide tour to highlight the issue of knife crime in the UK. The 27-feet-tall statue has been created by using over 100,000 knives and blades confiscated by the UK’s 43 police forces.

I invite people to join us as we stand side by side with all those who have suffered or lost loved ones due to knife crime.

Let’s take this opportunity to come together as a community and not only reflect, but also educate people on the devastating impact of knife crime and serious violence.

Together we can make a difference and make it clear that there is no place for violence in any form on the streets of West Northamptonshire.Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement

We take the issue of knife crime incredibly seriously and supporting events such as this vigil are vitally important, particularly for those directly impacted by knife crime.

We have seen a significant reduction in knife crime in Northamptonshire in the last year, however we want to do more, which is why we’re working hard with other organisations as part of the Northamptonshire Serious Violence Prevention Partnership.

This week we’ve joined together with police forces across the UK as part of Operation Sceptre, which is aimed at preventing knife crime and tackling those involved. This has included visiting schools, hosting knife amnesties, supporting young people at risk of becoming involved in this type of crime and using all of our resources to pursue those people we believe are involved in knife crime.
Detective Superintendent Andy Glenn

Police urge anyone with concerns to visit the knife crime pages of the Northants Police website

Anti-knife crime charity Off The Streets and Meditech Global will be be holding a series of free Critical Bleed Training Sessions across Northamptonshire. 

Please email [email protected] to register or follow Off The Streets on social media for further information.