A gipsy caravan could make a return to a bonfire parade whose organisers were accused of racism for burning one.

Travellers want to join Firle Bonfire Society, members of which set fire to a caravan carrying the number plate P1KEY at last year's event.

Gipsies and travellers hope to take part in this year's procession in a bid to build bridges and show they are part of the community.

Police questioned 12 members of the bonfire society after the uproar over last October's stunt, in which effigies of adults and children were placed inside the caravan. No one was prosecuted.

Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald, QC, said he understood the repugnance caused but supported a ruling there was insufficient evidence to prove incitement to racial hatred or public order offences.

The society apologised for the stunt at Firle, near Lewes, after being condemned by the Commission for Racial Equality.

Brighton-based travellers' group Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) said it wanted a positive message to come from the affair.

Rob Whitehead, its national co-ordinator, announced proposals to join the bonfire celebrations in October at a meeting with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on Thursday.

The CPS had invited Mr Whitehead and council representatives to the meeting to explain why it had made the decision not to prosecute.

Mr Whitehead said joining this year's celebrations would help foster a better understanding of travellers.

He said: "Pikey is the same as the N-word to black people and should not be tolerated.

"We want to move ahead with a number of positive suggestions.

"We want to build up understanding in the community of the position of travellers and gipsies and highlight how there are not enough sites for them.

Mr Whitehead said the FFT wanted a change in the laws concerning incitement to racial hatred.

He said: "We would have liked legal action to be taken. It would have sent out a message that this was not appropriate and would not be tolerated in society.

"You could say the publicity allowed the message to get across. But I do not think it said to people this is not allowed, it is illegal and will be punished to the full extent of the law.

"Racism is still prevalent. Travellers face it every single day and it should not be tolerated."

Firle Bonfire Society has insisted the 2003 procession was not a racially motivated attack on the travelling community.

Society spokeswoman Roz South did not rule out travellers joining this year's celebrations.

She said travellers would first have to become members of the society.

She added: "Firle never prejudges membership applications."