'Unacceptable': Police blast bizarre 'beaning' TikTok trend
Authorities have been forced to issue a warning over a niche, and highly bizarre, trend on popular social media platform TikTok.
British police have called out a rise in young people throwing baked beans over people's property, with videos of the dirty deed proliferating on the video sharing app.
The trend has been called "beaning" and involves users, usually teens, filming themselves throwing baked beans on other people's houses, cars and driveways.
They have been spreading the trend with the hashtag #beanbandits.
The trend has become such a problem UK police have asked shopkeepers to keep an eye out on people buying unusually large amounts of baked beans.
Police have also asked parents to keep an eye on if their children are leaving the house with beans without a reason.
Officer Michelle Owens, of West Yorkshire Police, 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? If you have children living at home, please be mindful if you see them removing cans of beans from the family home."
Last month Surrey Police launched an appeal after the village of Wonersh was targeted.
Residents' cars had been smeared with beans and several empty tins had been left at the scene.
For more information, check out the Beaning/#BeanBandits entry on Know Your Meme! #beaning #beans https://t.co/R0koTnFiXC pic.twitter.com/owkDQQgrjO
— Know Your Meme (@knowyourmeme) September 16, 2021
Surrey Police said: "Local officers have received reports of incidents in Wonersh where beans and other food has been poured onto resident's front doors and cars overnight.
"The victims are understandably distressed by this unacceptable behaviour."
TikTok trends have caused headaches for authorities and parents in the past.
The "Milkcrate challenge" which saw people attempting to climb a structure made out of milk crates led to doctors warning falling from them could be worse than falling from a ladder.
Yahoo UK
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