Two Tory councillors are happy today after allegations hanging over them for six months have been lifted.

The local government standards board has found there was no evidence that Woodingdean councillors Geoff Wells and Dee Simson racially abused travellers or led a blockade to stop them camping at a beauty spot.

There was no doubt that tempers flared during as clash at Happy Valley in April but the allegation that travellers were called "gipsy scum" was dismissed.

A travellers' support group was well within its rights to make the claim on their behalf. That's what the standards board is there for.

But now the two Brighton and Hove city councillors have been exonerated, that should be the end of the matter and travellers' spokeswoman Emma Nuttall spoke wise words in accepting the verdict.

The two councillors would also be well advised to accept the verdict as the end of the matter and not take any legal action.

It has obviously been a strain for both of them but they are well known as good local councillors and their names have been cleared.

Since that incident, there has generally been less trouble with travellers thanks to close co-operation between the city council, the police and residents.

Co-operation is also needed from the travellers and from other Sussex councils which are mostly content to let Brighton and Hove deal with the problem of trying to find places for them to stay.