An Oswestry-based family business has been awarded its first peace prize for its nationwide knife amnesty campaign.

The British Ironwork Centre was awarded the prestigious Rotary International Peace Award for its national anti-violence campaign and for their work on the Kinfe Angel.

At the 70th anniversary of the Llangollen International Music Festival, the BIC was presented with the award which recognises an individual or organisation who was contributed to the furtherance of peace and understanding throughout people of the world.

The CEO of award sponsors Typhoo Tea, Somnath Saha, and president of the International Eisteddfod Terry Waite CBE were on stage to present Clive Knowles, the chairman of the Oswestry-based BIC, with the award at the festival’s opening ceremony.

Mr Knowles said: “We are honoured to have been considered for this award – and overwhelmed to have won.

“So much has gone into creating the national monument against violence and aggression and all it stands for.

“The Ironworks is a family-run business based in the heart of Shropshire, with the goal of making a difference to the UK’s knife crime blight. It is truly humbling to be recognised for our work.”

The creators of the monument have since increased their efforts to keep weapons off the streets, and the BIC vowed to continue the campaign until it has helped remove a quarter of a million knives from the UK.

Mr Knowles said: “While we continually protest over the lack of initiatives and resources going into combating this trend, we feel it’s still not receiving the government’s full attention and nationally we are failing to address the underlying causes.”

The BIC has now completed the application for the Knife Angel monument to go to Trafalgar Square, hoping to encourage and kickstart new thinking, initiatives and programmes by being on the Fourth Plinth.

Humanitarian and past peace envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Terry Waite, has now stepped in to appeal to the London Mayor’s Office and the government in encouraging them to embrace this national effort and allowing the Knife Angel to have its voice in Trafalgar Square.