Nine teenagers have been arrested over a hate campaign against the Saltdean family of a released Guantanamo Bay detainee.

Police launched a crackdown last month after escalating violence and vandalism against the Deghayes family in Saltdean.

Their home has been fitted with security cameras and attacks have dropped off after a series of arrests.

Abubaker Deghayes – brother of released Guantanamo Bay inmate Omar Deghayes – said police stepped up their response after The Argus highlighted the case.

He said: “I had security cameras installed and a CCTV van parked outside the house for a week.

It has had a big effect.

Things are quiet and I hope it stays quiet like this.”

Trouble flared during the late summer as the family home was repeatedly targeted by vandals.

Windows were smashed at the house in Arundel Road East and a missile even bounced off a window while police were inside taking a statement.

An off-duty police inspector was wounded with a brick when he stepped in to try to defuse one confrontation.

Two boys, aged 11 and 13, were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

Inspector Bill Whitehead, of Sussex Police, said nine more youths had been arrested.

The girls and boys, all aged between 13 and 17, were questioned on suspicion of a range of crimes including assault, criminal damage and racially-aggravated offences.

Insp Whitehead said police were eager to defuse tensions and were handling each case sensitively to stop future flare-ups.

The Deghayes family was thrust into the spotlight when Omar Deghayes was an inmate in the US prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

He was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 and held, but never charged, on suspicion of being a terrorist.

His family and supporters fought a five-year campaign before he was released in December 2007.

The recent problems were exposed when former members of the Save Omar campaign called a public meeting to discuss a rise in racism in Saltdean.

Tony Greenstein, who helped organise the meeting, said: “You have to push and highlight things and bring them out into the open.

“It has been very worthwhile.

It brought the issue into the community and they had to confront it.”

John Carden, chairman of Saltdean Residents’ Association, said he believed the problem had started among young people and got out of hand.

He said he would welcome the family playing a bigger role in community life to prevent them becoming isolated.

He said: “In the time I have lived here, I have seen no racial problems at all.

This is probably one of the most diverse communities I have ever lived in.”