Jordan Blackshaw Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan
© PAJordan Blackshaw and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan have been jailed for four years for using Facebook to incite rioting
Jordan Blackshaw and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan have each been jailed for four years after causing 'panic and revulsion' by using Facebook to incite rioting.

The two men were arrested after trying to organise disorder on the social networking site.

20-year-old Blackshaw's page specified the disturbance to be 'behind maccies' - thought to be McDonald's in Northwich town centre, Cheshire - from 1pm to 4pm on August 9.

The Facebook event was called 'Smash Down Northwich Town'.

Blackshaw then added the first comment: 'We'll need to get this kickin off all over.'

22-year-old Sutcliffe-Keenan's page invited people to take part in 'Warrington Riots' in Cheshire from 7pm and 10pm on August 10. There was also a photograph of civilians clashing with police officers.

Blackshaw, of Marston near Northwich, and Sutcliffe-Keenan, of Warrington, both admitted intentionally encouraging another to assist the commission of an indictable offence.

They were described as having previously been of good character.

The pair had been due to be sentenced next month but the judge at Chester crown court decided to jail them immediately because of the seriousness of their crimes.

Martin McRobb, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said after the hearing: 'These posts caused significant panic and revulsion in local communities as rumours of anticipated violence spread.

'Blackshaw and Sutcliffe-Keenan used Facebook to organise and orchestrate serious disorder at a time when such incidents were taking place in other parts of the country.'