POLICE in Finland have been panned over an absurd anti-rape video which appears to show a woman using ‘The Force’ to repel a would-be attacker.

The video, aired on state broadcaster Yle, outlines Finnish police’s “top three methods” against street harassment: “Say ‘No!’, push and use your handbag”.

The anti-rape video has been likened to advice given by the mayor of Cologne to remain at “arm’s length” from attackers, and by the mayor of the German town of Bad Scherma that schoolgirls should not “provoke” migrants to avoid being sexually assaulted.

Finnish social media users were scathing. “It’s a shame you’ve only made this video now,” wrote Ville Mikkonen. “This would have come in handy on New Year in Helsinki, Cologne and elsewhere.”

Some questioned whether the video was a joke or a Saturday Night Live sketch, while others pointed out the obvious Star Wars references. One YouTube user created their own parody version.

Many were simply angry. “It’s not even funny anymore, but really, really pathetic that it’s come to this,” wrote Jaana Tuukkanen.

Last month, Finnish police revealed widespread reports of sexual assault committed by migrants during New Year celebrations in the capital, mirroring the Cologne attacks.

Ilkka Koskimaki, the deputy chief of police in Helsinki, told TheTelegraph: “This phenomenon is new in Finnish sexual crime history. We have never before had this kind of sexual harassment happening at New Year’s Eve.”

He revealed police had established a “very massive presence” to control the 1100 migrants who had gathered near the central railway station, following tip-offs from staff at reception centres that sexual assaults were being planned.

“Our information from these reception centres were that disturbances or other crimes would happen in the city centre,” he said. “We were prepared for fights and sexual harassment and thefts.”

Mr Koskimaki told The Telegraph sexual assaults in parks and on the streets had been unknown before Finland took in a record 32,000 asylum seekers in 2015.

“We had unfortunately some very brutal cases in autumn,” he said, referring to 14 assaults which he described as “big news in the city”.

“I don’t know so well other cultures, but I have recognised that the thinking of some of them is very different. Some of them maybe think that it is allowed to be aggressive and touch ladies on the street.”

The phenomenon of taharrush, or public sexual harassment of women in public by large groups of men, has shocked Europe in the wake of the New Year’s Eve attacks and shaken public support for large-scale migration.