01-06-2025
Forged in grief: Knife Angel unveiled as families demand justice for lost loved ones
As the Knife Angel was unveiled in Newton Aycliffe on Saturday, hundreds gathered at Beveridge Way to welcome a poignant and powerful reminder of the scourge of knife crime in the region and wider UK.
Silence fell over the crowd as the Knife Angel, a towering 27-foot sculpture forged from 100,000 surrendered blades from knife amnesties, was unveiled
This was no ordinary art installation.
For the families in attendance, many of them still raw from personal tragedies, it was a monument of mourning, a symbol of hope, and a call for justice from the legal system, politicians, and society.
The Knife Angel goes on display in Newton Aycliffe (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) For Zoey McGill, the Knife Angel's presence in County Durham is deeply personal.
Her teenage son, Jack Woodley, was just 18 when he was stabbed to death in a brutal gang attack in 2021.
The knife that killed him was a Rambo-style weapon, wielded by a 15-year-old.
Ten teenagers, aged just 14 to 17, were convicted under the controversial joint enterprise law.
Zoey, who attended Saturday's unveiling, called for action to prevent more fatalities.
A speech, read out for her on the day, said: "I want to talk about something that's tearing our community apart: knife crime. It's not just a statistic or a headline. It's about real people, real lives shattered.
Zoe McGill and her family, Husband Chris, sons Ralph, 10 months, Jenson, 9, and Jayden, 17 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) "Consider my Jack, who never made it to his 19th birthday because of a senseless act of violence; he simply went to a fun fair with his girlfriend and never came home.
"Knife crime doesn't just claim lives. It leaves lasting scars on families and friends. It creates a ripple effect of fear and mistrust in our neighbourhoods. Parents worry every time their child steps out the door. Kids feel they need to carry a weapon just to feel safe.
"But here's the thing: carrying a knife doesn't make you safer. It puts you at risk. It turns a heated moment into a life-altering tragedy.
"We can create a community where kids feel valued, heard, and protected without resorting to violence. The cost of knife crime is too high. It's time we all stand up and say: enough is enough.
"Our community deserves better.
Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen delivers a powerful message about knife crime at today's Knife Angel unveiling in Newton Aycliffe
— The Northern Echo (@TheNorthernEcho) May 31, 2025
"Our children deserve better."
There was no anger in her voice — just the exhausted determination of a mother who wakes up every day to the ache of absence.
PC Andy Boyd, Dionne Barrett mum of Gordon Gault, Zoe McGill mum of Jack Woodley, Amy Robinson partner of Rory Boyce, Louise Hutchinson mum of Craig Yorke and Joy Allen PCC (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) 'Losing Jack will never get easier,' she added.
'It destroys you day after day."
The Knife Angel's arrival in Newton Aycliffe marks its first appearance in County Durham and follows years of relentless campaigning by Zoey, local police sergeant Andy Boyd, and The Northern Echo's Knife Crime Task Force, which has been working to stem the tide of youth violence in the North East.
The sculpture — its metal feathers formed from blades once destined to harm — will remain in the town centre for June.
Some of the 100,000 blades that make up the Knife Angel (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Its haunting presence aims to educate, provoke reflection, and inspire change.
Surrounding the statue were people clutching framed photographs, T-shirts bearing the faces of lost loved ones.
Some were in tears, others just stood, silent in remembrance.
The photos of some of those killed by knife crime in County Durham and the North East (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Alongside Zoey McGill, the names of those other tragedies were on display too.
Dionne Barrett, mum of Gordon Gault, Amy Robinson, partner of Rory Boyce, and Louise Hutchinson, mum of Craig Yorke, were all there to share their own stories.
While tragedy, loss and the poignant Knife Angel were central parts of Saturday, song and dance performances from local Newton Aycliffe children provided a brief interlude of the harrowing reality of knife crime.
The back of the Knife Angel sculpture (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Amid the hundreds there, Durham's Police and Crime Commissioner, Joy Allen, acknowledged that while the region's knife crime rates aren't as high as in other parts of the UK, 'even one life lost is one too many.'
Her message to young people was stark: 'If you carry a knife, you run the risk of killing someone, or being killed yourself. Or ending up in prison for a long, long time.'
A knife crime t-shirt designed for the unveiling on Saturday (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) As the ceremony continued, local police announced the launch of a new campaign, Pointless, aimed at tackling knife crime through a month-long amnesty and grassroots education. Surrendered weapons will be donated to the Knife Angel's creators, the British Ironworks Centre, continuing the cycle of transformation from violence to awareness.
Sergeant Andy Boyd, who has patrolled Newton Aycliffe for over three decades, said the most vital tool in combating knife crime isn't harsher laws — it's courage and conscience.
Read more:
Mum of murdered Jack Woodley 'attacked' at Aycliffe graveside
Zoey McGill launches appeal to bring Knife Angel to Newton Aycliffe
Crime minister 'keen' to speak to Tanya Brown and Zoe McGill
Recalling Jack Woodley's case, Boyd shared a painful what-if: 'There was one teenager who walked away when a knife was pulled. But what he didn't do was report it. Jack might still be alive if he had. That's what we're up against — silence. Fear. Loyalty in the wrong places.'
In the coming weeks, schoolchildren will visit the statue, talks will be held, and police will do the rounds in visiting schools.
And perhaps, amid the sorrow, lives will be changed, and education will begin at home.
