A NELSON man has been cleared of encouraging rioting or looting via Facebook during last August's civil disturbances.

Christopher Milligan, 26, was accused of intentionally encouraging or assisting rioting through a post on the social networking website.

On August 9 he was said to have written: "Riot alert, meeting Duke Bar 8pm. Faces covered, weapons advised, come on peeps."

Milligan, formerly known as Schofield, was cleared by a jury at Lancaster Crown Court earlier this week after it deliberated for just over 90 minutes.