text: Police are using tiny plastic Lego figures in a campaign to warn people about the rising tide of housebreakings in Scotland. Officers from Police Scotland’s Edinburgh division – which has seen break-ins soar by nearly 40 per cent – posted pictures of the Lego models on their Facebook page as part of a move to raise awareness of crime. Last night, victims branded the move as ‘insensitive’ and ‘a joke’. Hands up: Plastic Lego figures are being used by police as part of a quirky campaign to warn people about the dangers of housebreaking. But the move received a backlash, with victims branding it as 'a joke' The police internet posting showed scenes of Lego criminals attempting to break into people’s homes before being arrested by officers – and were accompanied by a Scots dialect poem giving advice. But the publicity stunt was met with criticism from politicians and victims who said officers should concentrate on solving real crimes. Break-ins in Edinburgh rose by 38.7 per cent in the 12 months to April 2014, with 4,101 homes hit. Across Scotland, housebreakings rose 4 per cent to 22,272 over the same period. The row will fuel concerns over the number of officers spending their days in police stations, rather than pounding the beat. Last year, critics claimed many officers were having to ‘backfill’ – being taken off beat duties to carry out office jobs previously covered by civilian workers. Be vigilant: The Lego figures are arranged into scenes with robbers and police officers to provide safety tips and highlight the importance of securing people's homes. Last night Police Scotland defended the campaign . Last night, Police Scotland defended the campaign, pointing out that the photos have been viewed almost 350,000 times. But Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said: ‘With housebreaking on the increase, officers should be out solving real crimes, rather than relying on Lego to try and prevent it.’ The pictures are part of an anti-housebreaking drive, Operation RAC. They were uploaded days after police vowed to target a group of 40 criminals suspected of fuelling the city’s housebreaking problem. One image shows a Lego figurine in a hat and standing beside a door. Another shows a man standing on a ledge with another figure below. Poems were posted alongside the pictures, with one reading: ‘Staying in or goin oot? Lock the windaes ‘n’ front door. A simple step maybe, that’ll prevent access tae them on the chore.’ ‘Keep yer hame safe when yer oot on the go, . By usin’ timers on lights ‘n’ even the radio, . Timers are cheap ‘n’ it takes seconds tae do, . And it cuid prevent ye fae calling the boys in blue.’ ‘Look how ye get access tae the back o’ yer hame, . If it’s easy others wull dae the same, Restrict access tae the rear, . And help prevent others fae choring yer gear.’ One victim of housebreaking, Tamara Swanson from Newhaven, Edinburgh, was not impressed. The 20-year-old was alone in her home last July when an intruder attacked her as she was getting out of the shower. The man grabbed her from behind, punched her and then tried to strangle her before she managed to escape. Speaking last night, she said police had done little to help her since the incident. ‘We had to keep phoning them [Police Scotland],’ she said. ‘I’m still going to a psychiatrist and they’re putting a lot of anxiety down to this. I wasn’t sleeping for months. I didn’t feel safe at all.’ Speaking about the online campaign, she said: ‘They’re [people online] not going to look at it and think, “That’s interesting” and do anything about it.’ Her father, Peter Swanson, added: ‘Why would they bother doing that? Lego? It’s a joke. Police Scotland is a waste of time. ‘It’s a money-saving thing, obviously to the detriment of policing. The cartoons are stupid. Get the guys back on the street.’ Another housebreaking victim, Michael Wright said the pictures were ‘terrible’ and ‘insensitive’. His house in the Inch area of Edinburgh was broken into just before Christmas, with thieves taking money he had set aside for presents, as well as his Ford Fiesta. Mr Wright, whose young son was at home sleeping at the time of the incident, said: ‘Could they not have used the resources elsewhere, rather than reconstructing scenes of burglaries with Lego sets? ‘When I saw that, I thought it was just insensitive to the victims of burglaries. They have nothing better to be doing than sitting behind their computer on Facebook.’ Watch out: The campaign was shared on social media with fun poems. Pictures were uploaded days after police vowed to target a group of 40 criminals suspected of fuelling Edinburgh's housebreaking problem . He added: ‘Most of the people who are being targeted are older folks in their 80s. They don’t have Facebook or social media, so how are they supposed to get the message?’ Chief Supt Mark Williams, Edinburgh divisional commander, said: ‘Over 354,000 people have already seen this campaign on social media giving us significant reach for crime prevention messages. ‘Social media is an important tool for communicating with the public. It allows us to provide vital information on crime prevention and advice on keeping safe.’
target: Officers posted pictures of Lego models on their Facebook page .
  Part of campaign by police in Edinburgh to raise awareness of crime .
  It follows a 38.7 per cent rise in break-ins in the 12 months to April 2014 .
  But publicity stunt has been met with criticism from politicians and victims .