Knocking on door and running away

As advised, don’t react, they’ll get bored, I can think off a lot worse they could be up to.

I remember being told by my Mum that if I ever dared play "Knock Down Ginger" and she got to hear about it, I would get a wallop!

We lived in a side-road with very little traffic in Inner London (Hackney), and some bright sparks decided to tie all the door knockers criss-cross along the street with string, so that they could knock on the first door, and when it was opened it would trigger the knocker on the house across the road, which when opened would trigger the opposite knocker and so on.

Luckily I was not playing out in the street at the time! But apparently the first house opened the door, saw what had been done and promptly cut the first few strings so that little trick died a death...I was told about it by my naughty cousin who had helped to rig it all up.

Times were much more innocent then, and I would be horrified if I found out now that any young children in my family were taking part in this kind of behaviour.

BlueBelle

Personally I wouldn’t bother the police for daft kids It s always been a trick of kids hasnt it Ignore it they ll get bored if they get no reaction

Calling the police is an extreme reaction imo.It’s what kids do, it’s just a thoughtless game, I did it myself many times.
Kids are up later than they used to be is all.
Def ignore it and it will stop.
Shouting at them, looking out the window and any other reaction will just up the ante.

It was called ‘shoe the white horse’ in South Wales valleys

was called 'knocking down ginger' back in the day and even my mother said kids used to play 'knock at door and run away when she was a child in 1920s

I'm surprised they still do it as they have so much more to do these days.

Personally I wouldn’t bother the police for daft kids It s always been a trick of kids hasnt it Ignore it they ll get bored if they get no reaction

Just a couple of years ago our Close had a family with 6 children move in.

But the monsters were playing out at all hours and this was one of their favoured "games". Their second favourite was verbal abuse if challenged.

Then they all vanished, literally overnight, and some days later a bailiff came knocking on the door to ask me if I had any idea where they might have gone. They had been Travellers and their modus operandi was to 'flit' pretty regularly, one step ahead of debt collection agencies.

I wonder just how much debt they left behind? Not that it matters - the rest of us were just so glad they had gone!

Unfortunately, it is what children do, but 10pm. Not funny.
Did the police come?

We took a school trip out once, all dressed as evacuees, and walked through a lovely lane with beautiful large front doors and knockers. Of course, they were knocked. Trying to exert authority dressed in a headscarf turban, dungarees and wellies (me), and a schoolboy, (him ) was not easy, and of course the culprits were two very well-behaved little girls who were terrified we would tell their mothers, who were both TAs at the school. (We never did).
Which is no help to you, but don't be surprised if the knockers turn out to be someone totally unexpected.
Doorbell camera?

Be very careful if you open the front door and find a newspaper on fire on the mat.
Just thinking about old time tricks. Stamp on the newspaper and find it's full of dog poo. 😡

did some googling

.......... This kids' game might seem like a harmless prank, but playing it is breaking the law

"The easiest way to catch them is to set up a camera. No need for you to punish them, just let their parents know and they should take care of it. If you do catch him, try to get the phone number to his parents and call them, if that doesn't work called local Police Department".

Hmmm. sympathies, I hope it stops soon.

I know it is annoying but the best thing to do is simply ignore them.........the kids do it for a reaction so if you don't answer the door they will soon get fed up and go bother someone else. If you do know the children, then speak to the parents

It's called "Knock up ginger" and is an old game - I remember my dad telling me that he did it as a lad. Maybe someone has been talking to the kids, telling them about old games. Doesn't make it any less annoying.

Have you got a window above the door? Bucket of cold water set to tip over them if you pull a string? Unfortunately that would probably count as assault... Or you could leave the door ajar so that it opens when they knock it, to disconcert them.