The Government should help councils provide a network of dedicated traveller sites and give police more powers to clamp down on law breaking, according to a Sussex MP.

Lewes MP Norman Baker told Home Office minister Hazel Blears action was needed to prevent problems such as those at Firle, near Lewes.

Travellers who camped nearby left what was described as "hell of a mess".

This sparked anger which culminated in the controversial burning of a caravan containing effigies of travellers during bonfire celebrations.

Mr Baker called on the Government to give councils the cash to provide a proper network of traveller sites.

He said police should be given new guidance on how they to deal with activities at traveller camps, whether or not they were authorised.

He said ministers should also consider giving police powers to seize goods to pay for any damage, including the cost of cleaning up a site when travellers have left.

He said: "Hazel Blears has assured me guidance will be issued to police forces which encourages them to apply the law on traveller sites should incidents occur, and has also promised to look at the three other points I raised.

"I welcome this and hope this successful meeting will help establish a twin-track approach in which we can secure proper sites for travellers but also clamp down on any criminality."

Until 1994 local authorities had a duty to provide sites for travellers, which were funded by central government.

An estimated 1,000 to 2,000 additional residential sites and 2,000 to 2,500 further transit sites are needed in England.

Emma Nuttall, of lobby group Friends, Families And Travellers, said: "The only way to solve this problem is to provide the necessary sites for them to stop. Travellers are the only group now whose accommodation needs are not being met."

Mr Baker asked for the meeting before the events at Firle on October 25.

Eleven members of the village's bonfire society have been questioned by police following the incident. A file on the incident is to be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.