For many of us (especially those who have young children or animals) seeing your house or yard in various states of dishevelment isn’t all that unusual.

I don’t know how many times I’ve come home, seen something obviously awry, and wondered “how on Earth did that get there?”

Quite often, my kids have had something to do with it. When they’re innocent, it’s often the dog or cats who take the blame. My point is, it’s very rare that anything out of the ordinary gives me pause for thought or, worse, makes me feel alarmed in any way, shape, or form.

Yet after hearing the warning one woman from Manchester, UK, was given after finding food scraps in her front yard, I might be stopping to take a closer look at anomalies that present themselves on my property.

As per reports, the woman in question, Maria Celino-Straker, returned home one day to find someone had thrown a can of red beans just outside of her doorway.

Naturally, Maria presumed she had fallen victim to some neighborhood kids who had little better to do than play a prank. If not that, then perhaps a fox had dragged the beans from a bin and been scared away as they were crossing her yard.

Yet a relative – who also happens to be a police officer – is said to have changed her way of thinking completely after apparently warning her against what the seemingly innocent can of beans might signify.

Now, I didn’t know this, but apparently leaving food scraps or other items on an individual’s doorstep is a trick utilized by thieves hoping to confirm whether or not a homeowner is actually home, not on holiday or away for any length of time.

After placing their chosen trash or debris in someone’s front yard, the would-be thief waits to see if it is cleaned up or taken away. If it is, then it’s a sign that the person must be home, and so the thief is better off finding another property. If the trash – in Maria’s case the can of beans – is left there, however, it often means that the homeowner in question is out of the house, making their residence vulnerable.

Maria Celino-Straker responsibly took the decision to share the information she had learned on Facebook, in the hope that others who had no idea about this simple trick would be better informed.

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad she did!

Did you know about this trick? Let us know in the comments. Meanwhile, share this article on Facebook so others are kept in the know!