A man has shared the invention he’s come up with to ensure children will be able to socially distance while trick-or-treating at his house this Halloween.

This week, Andrew Beattie, from Ohio, shared a photo of his “candy chute” on Facebook, where he revealed he’d created it so trick-or-treaters could have a “touch-free experience”.

“Our 6ft candy chute is ready to be attached to the handrail!  Come on, Halloween!!!” Beattie captioned a photo of the orange and black tube in front of his home.

In an update on his post, Beattie explained the logistics of the candy chute, telling his followers: “This will be a completely ‘touch-free’ experience for trick-or-treaters. There will be a sign at the bottom of the tube showing them where to hold their bags and buckets so the candy can drop right in.

“I, personally, will be wearing a mask and changing gloves frequently, and the candy will be from a factory-sealed bag that I'll open outside by the candy chute.”

“I want our youngins to be able to have some sense of normalcy and maybe a little bit of exercise in all this madness, and I've put a LOT of thought into how to do so safely,” the father added.

As for how he made the tube, Beattie said it was simple and only took him 20 minutes.

“I put this together from throwaway materials (a six-by-four cardboard shipping tube and stuff I already had) in about 20 minutes, and if it brings comfort to those who are a little more reluctant, awesome!” he wrote.

Beattie also said the chute wasn’t only about safety amid the coronavirus pandemic, as it could also help those with mobility challenges.

“If this candy chute makes things easier or safer, AND gives those with mobility challenges more of a chance to participate, then what's the harm?  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, ya' know,” he said.

Beattie’s post has since gone viral on Facebook, where it’s been shared more than 75,000 times and prompted an outpouring of support.

“Love this idea! Very thoughtful and looks like fun!” one person commented.

Another said: “I love this idea, thank you for thinking of the kids and their safety!!”

According to Beattie, he’s appreciated both the positive and negative responses to the chute, telling Fox19: “I just really appreciate the response out here with sharing it and trying to be proactive and, you know, for the people who have concerns or don’t think it’s a good idea, I think that’s coming from a good place too and we appreciate you putting your thoughts out there that might make us think of something that we missed.”