A tale that brings the story of the 17 Lewes martyrs to life has been criticised by a member of a commemorative organisation.

The Bootmaker's Daughter tells a fictional tale about one of the real martyrs, a servant girl called Thomasina, who was the youngest to die in Lewes town square at just 16.

It is being shown as part of the Brighton Festival programme at St Bartholomew's Church, Brighton.

The drama was written by Chris Dixon, from Cliffe, Lewes, after he saw a banner for the November bonfire parties, which remember the Protestant martyrs burnt for their beliefs in the reign of Mary Tudor.

But the secretary of the Sussex Martyrs Commemoration Council - which remembers the 36 Protestant martyrs from Sussex and maintains the Lewes Martyrs Memorial - believes the play is misleading.

Mr Wallis said: "If it deviates from any of the established recorded facts then I think it is highly dangerous because it is misleading the public."

But Mr Dixon defended the production, which includes music from The Cardinall's Musick. He said: "Writers since the early days of time have, and audiences have allowed us to, invent characters around historical events.

"If we are not allowed to imagine what it was like, in a way we can't remember."

The Bootmaker's Daughter runs until Saturday at 8.30pm. Tickets at £18 can be bought on 01273 709709.