A British man who posted a message on Facebook threatening to kill 200 US schoolchildren, has been jailed for over two years.

Reece Elliott caused a major security scare in the Tennessee area after posting abusive messages on two tribute pages set up for two US teenagers who had died in road accidents. When challenged about the posts, the 24-year-old sent threatening messages to two teenage girls, telling one of them: "You have been chosen tomorrow at school to receive one of my bullets."

Schools in Warren County, Tennessee subsequently went into lockdown after Elliott posted threats to kill 200 children. Almost 3,000 pupils missed school the day after the postings were made.

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The father-of-one was today sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting one count of making a threat to kill and eight of sending grossly offensive messages.

He had been held in custody since his arrest in February after he sparked a huge US security scare when he posted the abuse.

Judge James Goss QC, the Recorder of Newcastle, told him the offences were driven by "no more than self-indulgent nastiness".

The judge took into account Elliott's early guilty plea and genuine remorse in passing a sentence of 28 months.