Man sentenced after MP Chris Webb's Blackpool jobs fair incident

A man has been sentenced after admitting a public order offence following a disturbance at a jobs fair set up by an MP. Tom O'Keefe, 42, of Cross Street in Blackpool, was handed a 12-month restraining order, fined £120 and ordered to pay costs when he appeared at Lancaster Magistrates' Court. Blackpool South MP Chris Webb said he was "incredibly grateful" to Lancashire Police officers and his parliamentary security team for "their swift action" in dealing with the incident in February. The Labour MP, who was elected in 2024, has previously spoken about receiving threats of violence earlier this year. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.