Police have issued warnings to shopkeepers to avoid selling baked beans to children in the wake of a bizarre TikTok trend.
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There are videos on the social media platform of children smearing baked beans on people’s doors, driveways and cars, under the hashtag #beanbandits.
‘Beaning’
The act, called ‘beaning’, has been trending on TikTok for some time now that the attention of the police has been drawn to it.
West Yorkshire police say shopkeepers should be wary of young people who come into their shops to buy large quantities of baked beans.
PCSO Michelle Owens said:
It has come to the attention of the police that a new trend has started by groups of youths called 'beaning'. This involves youths throwing the contents of a can of beans over properties, very similar to the trend of throwing eggs at properties. If you work in a shop, please can you be aware of youths buying large quantities of cans of beans
Concerned Public
In August, police in Surrey issued a similar warning after homes and cars in the small village of Wonersh were targeted.
Elsewhere, members of the public became concerned after finding beans on their doorsteps.
Their initial thoughts had been that they probably were being targeted for burglary.
They feared their properties were being smeared with beans as a way of thieves marking them for future robbery.
Police say parents should also be on the lookout for their kids and their access to baked beans as this trend continues. PCSO Michelle Owens said:
...if you have children living at home, please be mindful if you see them removing cans of beans from the family home.
