The owner of land invaded by Travellers today called for leniency towards villagers arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.
Police questioned 12 members of Firle Bonfire Society after the burning of caravan with gipsy effigies and the numberplate P1KEY in the village.
The society has apologised after being condemned by the Commission for Racial Equality.
Travellers spent three weeks on land belonging to Viscount Gage in the village near Lewes. He said they left "a hell of a mess".
Appealing for clemency for the society members, he said: "I hope the powers will deal leniently with the matter. It was just a bit of overexuberance. There wasn't any real or contrived malice."
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