THE group of young men behind the Cool Runnings float at Aberaeron Carnival which has been accused of being racist have made an undisclosed donation to the real Jamaica bobsled team.

The team were immortalised in the 1993 hit film which inspired the float at Monday’s carnival where it won awards for being the most original as well as most humorous.

But some people said that the "blacked-up” faces of the white participants were unacceptable.

The float was roundly condemned by the Ceredigion Labour Party who described the portrayal as “racism – pure and simple”.

Dinah Mulholland, the party’s candidate at the recent General Election, said she had been “utterly horrified” by the float.

“How could this have been considered acceptable, or even legal, by the carnival organisers?” she asked.

Ms Mulholland’s comments subsequently attracted several abusive messages on her Facebook page.

But today it emerged that the group behind the float – who have yet to comment publicly – have made a donation to the real Jamaican bobsled team.

A post on Jamaica Bobsled Team’s Facebook page stated: “Members from the Cool Runnings-inspired float reached out to us today, to offer their apology and insensitivity of wearing ’black face’.

“We like to take these opportunities to educate, rather than vilify. We believe there was no malice intended.

“We also thank them for their generous donation, in support of our team.”