From West Mercia Police:
We have been made aware of a recent trend on the social media platform ‘TikTok’, where people are filming themselves knocking loudly on someones door and then running away.
“Knock, knock run” or “Knock and run” is an old children’s prank. Historians believe it could date back as far as 19th Century England.
Whilst it may appear humorous to people at the time, it is also known to cause quite a bit of distress to those experiencing a loud knock on their door, late in the evening. This sort of prank particularly upsets the elderly, the vulnerable, or those living alone.
The prank can lead to serious repercussions, for both the people knocking, and any homeowners who choose to confront those knocking.
At the very least, anyone involved in this sort of behaviour will be spoken to by the Police. It may even be that a criminal offence has been committed by them, meaning a criminal conviction is a possibility.
We appeal to parents and carers to speak to any children you know about this trend, as it may prevent them taking part in it and causing upset.
If you experience this sort of prank at your home, please do not confront those responsible.
Please report this to us on using our reporting page on our website website https://www.westmercia.police.uk/
