"Police in the Midlands received more than 5,000 calls in hour...

grammer please!

Adam Webb, MK, UK"

Spelling please!

Ciara, London,

An earthquake, of course is a very dramatic and potentially serious event whereever it occurs. Yet is there not a lesson hidden (not so subtlely) inside every earthquake? I believe there is and that something is first and foremost that earthquakes and all natural disasters are connected to humanity. The cause of earthquakes is not burning fossil fuels; the cause is our collective state of consciousness. The universe acts like a mirror - whatever we send out gets returned to us. So if we are sending out energy that produces natural disasters is it not time to look at the beam in our own eye and think about how we can send out a higher type of energy?

Steve Larsen, Aurora, IL US

I agree with Asmodeus about the Americans and that in UK terms it is a big earthquake but world terms maybe not, it is still a shock to people in the UK.

Jim, lincoln,

Dozing off in bed, in Edinburgh stone tenement top flat: suddenly, briefly, felt as if I was swimming. The building occasionally sways in severe NW gales, so quite plausible.
And another thing. Why, Mr Editor, why do we have this bonkers map from the US Geological Survey? Thurso, Aberdeen, Leeds, Plymouth???? Do they know something we don't? Do you?

Susannah, Edinburgh, Scotland

According to other broadsheets the tremor measured 4.7on the RS, NOT 5.3. Who's right?

Asmodeus, London,

What is it with the Americans that posted on here! Yes you have earthquakes far more often than us and yes they are more violent than this one. You are used to it this is the first one I have felt in my life and its the same for a lot of other British people also. The reason why this has made UK news is because for the UK it actually is news, we dont report every single Calafornian tremor as that isnt news as we know it happens all the time! So I think that the largest UK earthquake in over 20 years deserves to get a little bit of our media attention. Of course some people are going to have been scared by it, if you have never experienced one before it is going to be a shock to the system. I personaly thought that some one was trying to break into the house through the roof to start with, but when people started texting and calling me to see if we had experienced it also I realised it was an earthquake and I wasnt losing my marbles.

Nicola, Scarborough, North Yorkshire

i live in university halls (mine is a block of 60 rooms) and the whole building was shaking. i got hit by a fork that flew off my shelves, and realised as i got back into bed, that my stack of plates were about a cm from falling aswell, so i guess i was lucky!

Sarah, Leicester,

wow heard this rumble then the bed started shaking, i just thought omg were having an earthquake what do i do!

ani b, wisbech,cambs, uk

haha i just thought some one here had fallen over going to the bathroom

sarah, leeds, west yorkshire

I felt the earth move last night too!!!

Hugh, Evian, France

i thought i was feeling things until this morning when i look on the news it s quite a bad earthquake wasn't it. But im glad other people felt it and it wasn't just me.

kirsty muise, Cheshire/Hyde, England

I felt it in East London. I thought a ghost was shaking my bed - hillarious!

How exciting though!

Jonny, London, UK

We were woken just before 1am this morning. At first I thought it was my partner moving about it bed making it rock, then I noticed he was lying perfectly still. Our whole house was moving from side to side!
My boyfriend said it must have been an earthquake after it had stopped, and it was only then that i started to get scared. I was only really confused when the shaking happened.
Everyone here is talking about it. There's no damage in Lincoln as far as i can tell though (we're about 15 miles from the epi.)

Gemma, Lincoln,

My wife felt the tremors at about 1 am but I was dead to the world !!!!

The earth certainly wasn't moving for me !!!!!!!

Ian Payne, WALSALL,

As pointed out in the article, it was - in the context of the wider world - a pretty pathetic attempt at an earthquake. California, to name but one place, has regularly been hit by quakes anything up to a million times as powerful.

What makes it newsworthy *in Britain*, is that it's the largest we've had for quite some time, and most people won't have known what it was (the vast majority of our quakes cause less rumbling than a passing light goods vehicle). It therefore causes much more disturbance and comment than a similar - or even a rather larger - quake would in places like Cali. It's a major surprise when we get an earthquake large enough to be felt nationwide, let alone one that can cause any damage.

Paul Heyes, Sheffield, England

Kit, no-one cares if you have had 7 earthquakes in the last week. Don't tell us to man up either, they are rare over here.

I was on Xbox Live, talking to my brother, who's about 138 miles away. And we both felt the tremors. I thought I was imagining it at first, but when he mentioned it too, we guess it was an Earthquake.

I've never felt one before, but now I can say I have :D

Christopher Ewing, Norwich, Norfolk

Woke up, realised there was an earthquake, went back to sleep. Hope the bike hasn't been knocked over.

Rupert, Sleaford, Lincs

As the bed moved from side to side, at first I thought I was still in Israel and it was a bomb attack. When my daughter called my name, I thought it was the elder daughter in Tel Aviv and not the younger one, who has just returned from travelling in India and South America:

http://irenelancaster.tyepepad.com/

It all goes to show that safety is all in the mind and that the unexpected can happen wherever you are.

Dr. Irene Lancaster, Haifa, Israel

lol i was scared too! at least i wasn't the only one. i felt it around 1am as well and couldn't get back to sleep straight after!!! my wardrobe shook and the house shook. it was all very weird as I've never experienced anything like that before. it was kinda cool but i'd never want to experience it again!!!!!

kelly, leeds, uk

woke both myself and wife up... the whole bedroom was shaking and shimmering. It was very unsettling and scary, had to check the whole house as i thought some trees had blown down and crashed through the roof!
scariest thing i have experienced in years! better than "Blair Witch"!

Paul Campbell, Huddersfield, west yorkshire

I was just getting ready for bed and me and my husband were at the bottom of the stairs. We live in Peterborough, we heard a huge rumbling sound and then our house started shaking, it sounded like the house was going to fall, i could feel the ground jumping under my feet and i looked at my husband and he was wobbling and moving up and down. It was very strange and weird feeling and reminded me that we live on a planet i think sometimes we can forget that, i made duas to Allah to thank him for the reminder and for keeping us safe . ALLAH AKBAR, ALLAH AKBAR, ALLAH AKBAR

muslimah, peterborough,

As a Brit I find it extremely annoying to read the comments from people in other countries who are somewhat belittling, if not mocking, the experience of last nights earthquake. It may very well be MINOR in comparison to other countries BUT as it's not a common occurance here in Great Britain it's a fairly MAJOR thing to a lot of us who experienced it last night!

Of course we understand how lucky we are here in Britain that this hasn't happened regularly (so far!) & that no-one was injured (not seen any reports of injuries as yet anyway). Of course we emphathise/sympathise with those for whom it is a regular, possibly everday, occurrance. BUT we are naturally curious, & worried, as to why it's happening here!

I'm in my 40's & can only recall experiencing an earthquake twice in my life...1 being last night, the other being in Sept 2002 (Dudley). Both were an equally scary experience for those of us who are not used to quakes!

C.F. , Birmingham, England

Dear Americans,
This message is in response to 'some' of the comments from the US.
I know that the following may be difficult for you to understand, but England is world famous as a "green and pleasant land" Poor, unfortunate America, however, has plunged itself into political, socio-economic and indeed, geo-seismological turmoil.
Therefore, for us an earthquake, whether political or physical is a big deal, whereas for you it is just another day in the chaos, which has become normal in the USA. We are, yet again, sad at what you think is normal or acceptable. What has happened to you? America used to be the best place in the world. Will you soon become financially as well as politically & morally bankrupt? I hope not. GBA.

Plenny, Birmingham, Midlands UK

I cannot believe it, I was in London last night and I felt it but no one else in the house did (they were asleep for real obviously). But I didnt imagine it could be an earthquake until I saw the news at lunch.
What is amazing for me, is that I am French, and I am in London when a strong tremor is felt and I was in Madrid when it happened there last summer. And in Croatia too when it happened there..
Am I pursued?

Ericka, Rennes,

I was in bed watching tv when my bed started moving, at first I thought my cat had knocked something over, but she was asleep, didn't hear any birds singing and my cats and dog didn't make a sound either.

Victoria, London,

Unable to sleep, I was sitting at my computer when I felt as if someone was leaning against my chair, gently pushing it. I looked round, but there was no-one there. I was convinced it must have been a ghost.

Seconds later, the room began to shake. It shuddered and trembled and I jumped out of my skin, alarmed that whatever alien force had invaded my home, it was hell-bent on destruction.

As the tremors subsided, I grabbed the phone and called my neighbour who came and rescued me. We sat drinking brandy and watching the reports on Sky news.

Well, it's one way of sprucing up your social life!

Alex, Water Newton, Cambridgeshire

I got up to go to the bathroom and when I got back into bed the room started to shake..... It didnt last long enough for me to really think about what was happening.... I thought it was an earthquake but wasnt sure and was a little concerned as I heard noises coming from above in the attic for a few seconds afterwards.... I checked the news but no reports and no more noises so I thought it couldnt be anything to serious... It was only later on that I found out it was an earthquake..... Freaky stuff !!!!! makes you look at the little things you worry about as being insignificant when you see we dont really have alot of control over what happens to us when nature takes over.....

Sonia, wolverhampton, England

Earthquake in England: how long before somebody blames Global Warming?!

R Renouf, Aberdeen, UK

i live in surrey, surbiton and i was up doing some studying at the time of the earthquake, at first i thought i was dizzy and when i relized my laptop, cup, and so on moving i knew it was a earthquake, i thought about leaving the house because it felt like it was there for more than 2minutes, at first there was a single movement and then it was a ongoing movement, it was funny, is the world ending???

berfin deniz, surbiton, england

I was being sarcastic about Global Warming, er, I mean Climate Change.... Of course it has nothing to do with earthquakes. Of course, If you buy into the Co2 causing change (as opposed to the more obvious solar activity fluctuation), then Earthquakes correlate with more volcanic activity which then increases C02 and other so called greenhouse gasses.

Douglas, Cologne, Germany

not everyone i work with felt the quake but i will always remember hearing the wardrobe rattle and thinking my husband had taken a fall. but then i stretch out in bed and he was still there, and i thought if he was there and i was there what or who was in my bed room. a few moment later our terified daughter phone, which made us more worried.she has two young chidren at home and i was worried they would be frightend
i hope the young man who was hurt is ok and that he will soon heal. i will remember him in my prayers. good night evryone sleepsafely tonight,

Rose Tyrrell, Coventry, West Midlands

I was just finishing my weekly invoices off, when the earthquake hit, I did not know what was happening, my chair began moving side to side, and the shaking and vibration through my house was unpresidant, my first impression was paranormal activitie, untill my phone began to ring and freinds told me they had the same experiance, I never felt the last earthquake in 2002, or the last big one in 1984, something inside tells me that mother earth is changing!!!!!!

ALEX TILSON, BARNSLEY, SOUTH YORKSHIRE

I live in grimsby - 19 miles from the epicentre of the earthquake, i was alone at home watching television at the time in my living room in my first floor flat. I was absolutely petrified at the time and just sat on my settee with my feet on the floorboards. The flat shook very violently after hearing a loud crash then bang for about ten seconds. However, this felt like a lifetime. I sat feeling my whole body shake and the whole room move whilst gazing at the walls in shock. My toilet seat even banged to the down position as I had left it upright earlier. It was a petrifying experience and really wouldn't want to go through such an experience ever again in my lifetime. It was such an amazing experience also and an experience I shall never ever forget that's for sure. I just hope that the aftershocks, which are apparently inevitable, are nowhere near as strong.

Darren Sheeran, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire

I was sitting up in bed reading when there was a sudden noise sounding initially like a huge wind surge against my window. Then my bed began to shake substantially and as it passed over I could hear a noise in my attic above me like something still swinging. My first thought was an earthquake and I tuned in to the local radio station to see what they would say. Nothing! I continued to read but wondered about aftershocks and how I might evacuate the house with all 5 children if necessary. Funny the things that go through your mind at 12.58 am!

Nicky, Kendal, Cumbria,

I live in London, was awake with bad fever when my bed started shaking, all I could hear was my throat medication rattling on the side-cabinet. At first I thought I was hallucinating as a result of the fever but soon after my cat started meowing, and the birds outside went crazy. The rest of the family slept through it.

Nina, London,

For those who've never felt a similar quake, I can tell you as a 50-year-old Californian, even the strongest quakes I've felt here in the U.S. haven't shaken me physically more than the little roller coasters that five-year-olds ride on, not the adult kind of coaster, but I can see how it might upset first-timers!

Dave C., Los Angeles, Calif. USA

Well personally I'm disappointed as I felt absolutely nothing, and I'm in North West London. I was even awake at the time.

All the events over these last few years - the floods, the tornados, the earthquakes - always seem to miss my part of the country. We don't even get much snow, it's very boring...

Billy, London,

Nope, nothing as usual with this sort of thing I slept through it all without the slightest disturbance. Would need to tip me out of bed to wake me up. Feel I missed out on an experience. Still at least I can say I don't get bothered by living under the flightpath I suppose
GG, Fulham, London

Guy Green, Fulham, London

My geography lessons are pretty much planned for the rest of the week now!

S Kasuji, Batley, West Yorkshire

i was out in a pub having a social nite out .. i never knew a thing about it till 9am this morning when i heard about it on the radio , my partner said he was in bed and he experienced a pnuematic drill effect but thort no more about it until he got to work at 7am ...how did i miss it!!!!

chelle, consett, uk

got everyone talking this morning

anita loughborough

k b , loughborugh, uk

I was just getting into bed at about 1am at the time,and was lying awake when I heard this deep,low rumbling noise.The noise intensified and then my room walls and bed began to shake and move horizontally,even the very space around me seemed to vibrate and move.Naturally I leaped out of bed and I could feel movement in the floor beneath me.
No damage was sustained to our house or indeed anywhere in sheffield as far as I am aware,thankfully.
This all lasted for about 15-20 secs.
It was clear to me at first what was happening and the first thing I did was put Sky News on,and my suspicions were indeed confirmed.
To be honest,a frightening experience!.

Paul Riley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

was in the shower when the quake started. I felt a small shudder. At this point, I thought it was the water pipes. I then heard a large rumble, so I switched off the shower. Not thinking, I ran from the bathroom only to meet my mum, sister and partner at the top of the stairs. It took several seconds before I realised I was butt naked. GOD HOW EMBARRASSING !!!!! We've felt small tremors in the past, but this one certainly shook us all up. The whole house was shaking. It seems eerie when I think that I noticed, about an hour before, that outside was deadly quiet. No traffic noise, no wind or anything. Then suddenly Shake, Rattle & Roll or what???

Gav, Worksop, , Nottinghamshire

I was awake, reading a book at 1am in Hereford. I felt a very strange vibration of my bed (no smart comments please). My dog jumped onto my bed and came and lay beside me - she was growling for some minutes and kept looking at the window! Is it possible that this quake reached as far as Hereford?

I recall the previous UK quake (about 2 years ago) which appeared at about the same time (1AM) and again I felt the 'shake' in Hereford. Why is that, when the epicentre is 'middle england'

Anna, Hereford,

I blogged this just this morning....


Earthquake UK - I felt it in Wales!

Feb 27th, 2008 (12 hours ago) by arbie Edit |

Earthquake in the UKLast night I did a kinda dumb thing. I was sat at my computer catching up on the admin for my day job, and I felt the house move. It wasn’t a super dramatic shaking or anything of that nature, it was more like when someone slams a door and you feel the air in the house move.

I thought someone was in the house.

My partner and child were asleep in the house.

I got stroppy and stormed off downstairs to find the miscreant who had decided to violate my home, ready to deal out the fists of justice. The adrenalin was pumping and I was slamming lights on and trying to seek out the intruder.

the rest is at http://crn-web.com/?p=31 (not enough room here)

Arbie, caersws, powys

My hubby would've slept through it, I thought it was a nightmare when it shook me up. But our budgies were the smartest, they knew...both of them had fallen off their perches and the female budgie flew round and round her cage after that, unsettled.

Nothing fell though, we were lucky...

L Webster, Milton Keynes, Bucks

I'm in Essex and it appears I'm the only bloomin' one here to have felt anything! I woke up feeling bed had moved and could hear rattling. It took me a few minutes to convince myself I wasn't dreaming! I put on LBC radio and they started to get calls about it. Everyone here thinks my next home will be in the loony bin!

C, Mayland, Chelmsford

i was sittng in my livingroom , my chldren were asleep and the whole house just shook i thought it was a poltigest and was shaking badley, my glass table is of very thick glass and it shook violently.

klar jones, west midlands, sandwell

It hit rotherham at about 1am, i woke up and sat up in bed, i thought i was dreaming! i got back to sleep, and at 7am when i woke up properly i realised all my room was in a mess! i realised i wasn't dreaming!

Ruby Pitt, Rotherham,

Tell me if I'm wrong but isn't the Richter scale defunct and some other scale is used instead.

Alex Gulliver, Havant, United Kingdom of America

Lying in bed reading when my mattress and the floor seemed to judder, thought the cat had knocked down something big downstairs but couldnt be bothered to go and see what it was! Also the thought passed through my mind that it could be the wind or an earthquake... but not seriously!... well there you go! first earthquake ever. Too bad that was the one night my boyfriend was away!

Rachel, Oxford,

i live on the top floor of a block of flats in Rotherham (south yorkshire), when the earthquake started i was watching the simpsons (the hurricain episode lol) the entire building started swaying ad shaking like never before we really thought it was going to collopse, the noise was extreamly loud, my heart started going at fast paced and sweat poured out, i was sooo nervious, a few pictures fell off the wall, and my lava lamp came crashing off the table, well we've all a bad weather year since june, it started with floods then sunshine, then snow just last week and now an earthquake, whatever next?

stephanie Ford, Rotherham,

It woke both me and my wife she said "what was that" i said "i think it was an earthquake". She went down stairs and outside to talk to the neighbours, i went back to sleep.When i went to work i noticed there were bricks dislodged from the chimney. We called the fire brigade who came had a look and said call a builder there is nothing we can do. its nice to know there are always people you can rely on!!!!!!

ady kemp, gainsborough, lincolnshire

I hope everything is okay. I was surprised of hearing the earthquake in the UK as this is usually a California thing, but I guess you just never know where and when it's going to hit. Living through the Northridge(California) earthquake which was very strong, I can understand the jittery and fears, especially the aftershocks occuring every minute for a whole week or so. And after that experience, we're always prepared just in case to have enough supplies of water and canned food stored and a flashlight nearby.

Arlene, LA, CA

i slept right through it! it was only in the morning that i found out there was an earthquake from my parents. all my friends were talking about it as well. it was only me and this one of my other friends that didn't wake up. apparantly, neither did my brothers wake up! i cannot beleive there was an earthquake and i missed it totally.

Shamia, Scunthorpe,

LOL ...I Woke up 2seconds before it happened ...i had an un-nerving feeling..then it happened...i had C.ds Falling on my head ..it really weirded me out...And i live in Grimsby ...right near the epicenter ..

Sarah , grimsby, n.e.lincs

I was sitting on the sofa writing something out, and all of a sudden I felt shaking within myself and the flat shook. the small light shook, I woke my husband and told him, he said it must have been the underground train going through, I said, No if was definitely an earth quake. Never experienced that before.

Dee, Bermondsey South London, UK

I always thought that earthquakes could only happen on tectonic plate boundaries. How is it possible for one to occur in the UK which is in the middle of the Euroasian plate?

David DM, London, UK

Wow.I hope evreyone is ok.

Borislav Koev, Pernik, Bulgaria

And I thought it was all a dream!! Just lucky most people are in bed at that time and not out in the streets

Rick, Sheffield,

the most interesting thing to happen in at home in lincolnshire in years, and i'm not even in the country. thought i ought to point out, the red dot on the map is not holton cum beckering, it looks more like the position of barton-on-humber. another case of military precision, USA style perhaps? or has is it the just the case that everywhere north of the watford gap is the same to the journalists in london?

Joe , Market Rasen , Lincs

Was woken up just before one, my room was moving back and forth, was sureal, I did not feel scared or frightened.

Jaishree, Leicester, UK

I slept through this one but coincidentally, the only one I've ever experienced (maybe 5 years ago?) was also at one o'clock in the morning.

Derek Stanley, St Ives, Cambridgeshire

jennifer, nottingham,

I had the same thing I am in chesterfield in derbyshire and I heard rumbling nosie for about 10 seconds just as I was wondering what it was the whole house started to shake for another 20 seconds

Michael , Chesterfield, derbyshire

5.3 is certainly no tiny shake. It can be terrifying feeling something like that...surreal too. Thank goodness no one was seriously hurt or it wasn't a bigger earthquake!

Gina Flores, Redwood City, California-USA

I live only a few miles from the epicentre of the quake and it was sooo scary. Everything was rattling, shaking, moving and the noise was unbelieveable! All my animals were terrified -especially the horses and bunnies/guinea pigs.
The quake caused cracks all around the house -I think we can now class it as 'structually unsound'! ;-P!! Apart from that and a few tiles -nothing else was damaged.
Still in shock from it though- my first quake experience!!! Hope never to experience an earthquake again!! Hope everyone else is ok after the shock in poor little britain!!

Charlotte, Lincolnshire, UK

1.00 am 27.2.08 For once I was honest and told my husband - yes, the earth moved for me too

Mary ;), Leeds.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s, uk

I was in bed with my husband of fifteen years. The earth moved. He was asleep.

Nancy , London,

I wonder what they were going to show on the news today if we hadnt had an earthquake? Its all i have heard about all day i was like a tremor.

Erica, Ashtead, Surrey

Of all the people who have got in touch with all the press, media etc, is there anyone who owned up to having sex at the time and of those there must have been one lucky couple who timed it to perfection.

Abdul Rahim, Peterborough, England

i didnt feel it!
but i have school teachers that are all talking about it as they all felt it!

scary stuff!

Verity, Grange-over-sands, Cumbria

The epicentre was NOT 10km from the earth's surface. The epicentre is the point on the earth's surface above the centre of the earthquake. That's why it is called the EPIcentre.

Mike, Gloucester,

This surely scared many of you, and believe me, I've been there too.
I live in Mexico City and was there when the 8.0 earthquake hit us back in 1985 and destroyed half city. Horrible experience.
Even though we have some earthquakes every year, one can't never get used to them. They scare the soul out of me every single time!.
Have a nice day!

Veronica, Mexico City, MEXICO

I was well scared. I live in Birmingham and have never experienced such fear due to natural forces. I think that government should take measures to protect the country now, while they still can, before global warming takes hold.

Will Pitchers, Birmingham,

Huge? Hahaha! No, I'm not laughing at you folks who got shaken up. I DO sympathise. But I'm from southern Calfifornia, and it's just funny to hear a 5.3 described as a "huge tremor". :D Sorta gets your attention, doesn't it? I hope nobody was hurt. Taking to the streets for safety? You folks need some earthquake safety training! Running out of your house is about the LAST thing you should do.

Mark, Van Nuys, California

I live in North London and was doing some work on my pc at around 1 am, when the whole house started trembling. I just froze and sat in my chair whilst it went peaceful again, maybe less than a minute. Very subtle compared to what I have read here but I did feel it and was really scared after that, struggled to get to sleep, waiting for it to come back.

Christina, North London,

I was gratified to learn that apparently no one was killed or seriously injured as a result of this quake. I was shaken out of bed on the seventh floor of a hotel in Pasadena, CA during the Northridge Quake of January 1994, which killed about 57 people and injured more than 11,000. I felt very fortunate, as I am sure those of you, who were near the source of this quake, feel today. I am also pleased to see that the comments to this article, do not reflect a people cowering in corners today, waiting for a ride to the psychiatrist’s office. These are the Brits that we know and love.

David, Minneapolis, USA

haha xD i av to say it was a bit funny...when my mum ran into my room arms up in the air and then slipped. :) My house was fine, heard the streets bins moving about though

joanna, Bury Manchester, England

I'm form Califronia and I disagree slightly with folks who say a 5.3 is insignificant. A 5.3 can bring a pretty-good jolt and definitely grab the attention. I'm a bit surprised at some of the eyewitness reactions to this quake, which seem a bit strong to me, but I guess (as some have pointed out) it's a bigger deal if you've never been in one-- so the surprise is understandable.

I've been in one really extreme one (the Northridge quake of 1994) and many moderate to small ones. Quakes over 6.5 are in a totally separate category-- very violent and scary.

Josh M., West Hollywood, USA / California

I live in South West london and it actually woke me up because my bed was swaying. My first thought in my sleepy stupor was that it was a ghost doing it! Then my headboard started to lightly bang against the wall so I sat up, all shocked! Then my cat jumped up on my bed then my son came out of his room saying 'did you feel that'? His bed also shook and things were moving in his room. He knew it was an earthquake but I pooh poohed the idea until we saw Sky News.

It was scary but also different!

Kim, London,

I live in wolverhampton in the West Midlands and i felt the effects too. They lasted for about 20 seconds.

Richard Beck, Wolverhampton, England

I was reading in bed and one of my dogs started to bark, I then heard a rumbling noise and felt the house shake,initially I thought that it was a jet going over as we live not far from RAF Marham, I woke my partner who was sound asleep and he said " dont worry it`s only an earthquake!! " ( he lived in the USA for many years ) I then heard it on the local morning news, very glad that nobody got hurt, it could have been so much worse, we as a country are lucky that quakes in our country are usually only very small.

Ruth , Downham Market, Norfolk UK

Was semi-awake while reading (thought I was in Afghanistan with Flashman!) in bed and thought I had imagined the whole thing until the texts started coming through, so was up and online in minutes and discovered the epicentre was in Ludford, about 8 miles up th road from me in Louth. Earthquakes are not very common in Lincolnshire, I know that there was one in 1185 that destroyed Lincoln Cathedral and another in the 18th Century but cannot remember when exactly.

Ben Adlam, Louth, Lincolnshire

Earthquakes can occur anywhere, so it is in the interest of all governments to provide safety info for their citizens about what to do in the event of a tremor. In earthquake prone areas in the US and Japan they have lots of info - the UK should prepare also - just a basic fact package.

Stephen Pain, Odense, Denmark

Woke up just before it happened, was aware of rumbling, thought it was a lorry as live on a main road, then things started to fall of the shelves & the bed shook violently. Then deadly silence. Thought I'd dreamt it, checked chimney this morning & there's rubble all over the fireplace. Spoke to the guy in flat below & he'd slept throught the whole thing!!!

Rachel, Boston, Lincs

How does an earthquake kill someone by making them commit suicide?!?
Also who feels an earthquake and the immediate thought they have is "oh, theres a ghost in my room"?!? Logical.

dom, Leeds,

i thought that some one had put a brick through my frount window or i had had one of those dreams were you are dropping and wake up shuddering. ran to my sons room to find him awake, headed down to the living room with what i could grap ( a flimsy plastic coat hanger!! lol ) and my step dad on my touch tone by accident saying hello. totally freaked out. than i knew so i waited for the after shock now im shatterd.
what a mad thing ....

sydell brigden, hull,

my sister felt it at that time in London, she came to my room and asked if i eared. she thought ther was som1 ther. i was on my computer fully awake and didnt hear anything.

Hesam, Ilford, London, England

I live in Northampton. I was asleep at that time of the earthquake. I am a very deep sleeper and usually don't wake up for anything. However, I woke up with the noise, as if my walls were shaking. I was so dozzed with sleep that at I thought at the time it was my upstairs neighbour. Sometimes when she walks the ceiling shakes (becuase she is a heavy walker and runs a lot). So I just thought 'for goodness sake, its 1 in the morning, just go to sleep'. So, I went to sleep, and 1/2 an hour later I felt another shake (maybe residual tremors). I got up and went to toilet, and went back to bed.

I even forgot about it, and in the morning as I was speaking to my cousin, he said: I couldn't sleep last night, did you hear the noise and the house shaking. I said to him that I though it was the upstairs neighbour, or even a heavy lorry passing by. He said it was worse than that, and he stayed all night without any sleep. So I went on to the news and found out it was an earthquake.

Miguel, Northampton, England

12.55am In bed and on the verge of sleep. Suddenly a loud rumbling and shaking of the bed made me sit up quickly to see in the gloom my bookcase shake and the wierd sensation of the whole bedroom shuddering. I leapt out of bed but suddenly everything was still again. Although it only lasted about seven or eight seconds I must confess it was a frightening experience in such a very short time.

Alan Harte, BOLTON, Lancs

I had only been in bed about 15 mins when my wardrobe doors started shaking violently as i got out of bed i could feel the floor shaking and the rest of the house! It all happened so quick i was unsure if i had imagined it. I woke my partner who amazingly had slept through this and he just thought it was the wind blowing the wardrobe doors as the window was open so i went back to bed and then woke to see the news of the earthquake on the tv.

Bethany , Pudsey nr Leeds, England

I had just returned to bed from using the bathroom when the tremor struck and following the initial oncoming roar it felt like the force went right threw me and i moved in my bed before i heard a huge bang like a lorry hitting the house wall and a bookshelf in the bedroom shock in varying amounts during the ten seconds it hit . Whilst i sat up in bed experiencing all this my wife became very frightened and she did not sleep well at all afterwards , me well i'll never forget that feeling running through my body .

Christopher Button, Grantham Lincolnshire, England

I was lying on the sofa watching TV, my husband was on the computer looking for a life insurance.....yes at 1am...
I felt like my heart was coming out of my chest and as I used to have panic attacks I thought "here we go again, I've been stressing myself too much at work..." Then my husband looked at me and I understood : "It was an earthquake wasn't it.." + I saw the leaves of the plant next to me were still moving. ...can't wait to tell my parents in France of the earthquake.

Carole, Enfield, Middlesex, England

Why do people call the police when there's minor quake.
Do they want the quake arrested for criminal damage?

Phill , The Wirral, England

I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard a tapping sound which seemed to be coming from inside the wardrobes or from under the bed. I sat up and as I do not have curtains I could see the reflections of my neighbours security slights on my walls and mirrors, but instead of being static they were swaying from side to side. It all stopped after about 15 seconds. I just assumed it was ghostly activity and went to sleep!

Nicole, Barnet, Herts., U.K.

Oh Keith........

There are ways and means to put people in their place, and guess what. You just did. Brilliantly.

Wow, you know your cabbages don't you?

Good for you. Thanks for a well written, and easy to understand explanation.

My son said to me this morning, in Geography he had learned that strong winds precede an earthquake. Could this be true? As incidentally the wind did drop considerably soon afterwards, or was this just a conicidence, as the forecast had predicted that any way?

Louise, Mirfield, West Yorkshire, England

This is big news for the same reason that 2 inches of snow shuts the country down. we are not used to it.

it was a minor quake and having lived in California have experanced much larger.
I just stayed in bed and listened for running water or falling bricks all okay no sound of falling objects.went back to sleep

dave, Peterborough,

i was lay awake from about 12 at night,, i noticed it was unusually windy outside but the birds were still chirping in there trees.
then at about 12.55 i noticed they had stopped and i sat up in my bed. my girlfriend was drifting off by this point. suddenly the whole house shook the mirrors on the wardrobe rattled,, she thought i was shaking the bed wich i thought was quite ammusing then i told her it was an earthquake an she couldnt believe it. it lasted for about 25seconds but they were the most shocking seconds of my life.

joseph n, manchester, england

I was in bed, reading, when the quake struck at 00.59 GMT. There was a cracking noise and the bed shook for about 10 seconds. There was also a strange humming noise from outside, which abated about a second after the shaking stopped. I quickly realized what this was, as I have experienced two previous earth tremors in recent years.

Anthony Burns, Banbury, Oxon, UK

I felt it last night, when I was getting ready for bed. Everything was shaking. The Mirror nearly fell off the wall. :( I thought I was going crazy, so I went to upstairs to check on my brother and it woke him up. Just after I went outside and luckily found no damage. Actually thought the wind was to blame, but it had died down. Can't believe it's actually an earthquake!

Stacey, Hull,

I live just south of Grimsby, so very close the epicentre. I woke up to the house moving...it felt like being stood on a tube train, rocking from side to side...disconcerting when you are in the dark and in bed. I seriously think it was the most instinctively terrifying thing I have ever experienced.

Angela Gordon, Grimsby, Lincolnshire

I suffer nightmares on a regular basis and thought I was just having another. However, when my husband sat up in bed and asked what was going on I realised straight away that it must be an earth tremor. I have experienced them before but never quite like this. The whole house was shaking and the noise was incredible. Strangely, the family dog never murmered.

Elaine, Nottingham

Elaine , Nottingham, England

God, don't most of you people eggagerate. And for the people who think it's down to climate change, don't talk such rubbish.

Dan, Derbyshire,

it's my fist time to experience earthquake. at the beginning i wasn't realize it was earthquake. i thought someone dancing in the kitchen. but as the quake become larger and larger, i aware that is earthquake. very frighten. i cannot fall asleep later that night.

Beno, Norfolk, Norwich

I am from colindale in nw london, i was awoken at around 1 am by my bed shaking, i was so scared then i heard sort of a humming noise and i thought it was a robber in the house or a ufo outside. I was too scared tro leave my bed and look outside. I have never been so scared in my life.

sampada, colindale, london, london

I had had difficulty dropping off to sleep and I awoke with a start at around 1.00am when my headboard was rattling and banging against my bedroom wall- As I had been asleep I was really disorientated and could not work out what had happened - Strangely, for a minute I thought I had suffered some kind of a 'fit' and yet I don't suffer.them.. I looked out of my window not really knowing what I was looking for - I was really worried to be honest and it wasn't until I heard the News at 6.30am that I realised exactly what Ihad experienced - It has really made me think about what people must have gone through during really serious earthquakes....

Kerry McIvor, Nottingham, United Kingdom

Here in SE1 Tooley Street there was at 12:55am 7 seconds of gentle swaying and jiggling. My vertical blinds swayed, my drink sloshed in the glass, the chair I was in had this odd horizontal movement. But no violent tremors, no noise, and it was gone as quick as it had arrived. Curiously pleasant, actually.

WG, London, UK

I was in the middle of love making when it hit. O my gosh, what a feeling!

Shawn J, sheffield, yorkshire

Hi I did not feel this earthquake, i'm rather dissapointed, its my passion. Weird I know.
May I ask that all the Americans or brits that have moved over there spare a thought for us as you may feel that the earthquake is only minor to you as you experience stronger versions. You have to understand this is something that us Brits are not used too. We dont normally have strong earthquakes and when we do we all have mixed feelings about it. Some will be scary some are of excitement. Allow us to enjoy or be scared of something that we are not used to.

By the way the earthquake being so strong just goes to show that no one is immune from these acts of mother nature, heres hoping all the people a lot closer to the epicentre are well and the chap that got injured is ok and recovering well.

Rachel, Southport, United Kingdom

I felt the tremor whilst in bed around 1am. I must say i was quite excited by the vibration. This is the most action thats happened in my bedroom for a long time.

Jayne G, Liverpool, UK

I was woken to hear my bird cage banging against the wall and my love bird going mental, I wasnt aware to this morning that it was an earthquake.

Kellie, Harlow, Essex

Glad I wasn't the only person in Britain who thought I was dreaming the earthquake...

Louise, Liverpool, UK

I was woken as my bed was rocking- was like the exorcist! i was petrified and did not dare move for an hour afterwards! i called my mum just to confirm i had not imagined it- she said her wardrobes were all shaking- it was then i realised i was not mad!

stacey webb, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

I was fast asleep in my bed. I was woken by a loud bang and my bed shook. I thought a huge bird, maybe an owl had hit my bedroom window. It was very frightening.

Helen from North yorkshire., Pickering, North Yorkshire

5.3 ... I'm sure it was frightening but that's pretty normal in our part of the world. Thank goodness there wasn't any loss of life or too much damage.

Yasmin , Manila, Philippines

I heard this at 12.56am for about 40 seconds the house shook whilst i was in bed, throught i was dreaming but now i look it up online and it true

ANDERSON, NOTTINGHAM,

felt it in milton keynes- heard the rumble but thought it was trains going past, except it got louder and and then there was a bang downstairs- i thought we were being burgled until the bed started heaving from side to side and the cupboard doors were rattling. i was too excited to sleep after!!

dassah, milton keynes,

It was about 1 ish when we felt it.... My grandma came rushing out of the bedroom thinking it was a ghost shaking the bed. i knew it wasnt, we checked on grandad to make sure he was ok, at that poi8nt my head went, and I was ill all over the floor. i didnt liekthe expirience.

Hollie, Crewe, Cheshire

Hollie, Crewe, Cheshire

It was a shock... my boyfriend slept right though it and thought I dreamt it!

Sarah, Leeds, England

I live in Skegness in Lincolnshire my bed shaking and the very loud rumble woke me up! It seemed to go on for ever! I knew immediately it wasn't just a large lorry passing by as the whole house was moving. As I looked out of the window I could hear a car engine outside, obviously the driver had pulled over during the quake! I wonder what was going through his or her mind! My dogs water had spilled all over the floor due to the strength of the tremor but thankfully no damage was done to my house! I lay awake for ages afterwards debating what to do if there was another one and expecting to hear sirens.

Helen, Skegness, England

I thought we have ghost in the apartment; as it is a newbuilt I thought it was build on old cementary and now we will be suffering forever!!!!

Well as I found out- it was an EARTHQUAKE.

Iwona Prazak, Rugby,

Incredible, whole house shook like it was made of match sticks....never experienced the power of nature like that...imagine if it measured 7 or 8, not 5.3?

AS, Loughborough,

I am MA student studying near Euston I felt it last night.. it was pretty long.. at first i didnt know what it was.. didnt know Britian had many earthquakes.. but to be honest once I knew it just made me feel at home. I am from California and that was nothing :) Just the earth having a bit of fun :)

Sarah, Bloomsbury, London,

Felt the earthquake in norwich it lasted about ten seconds I knew it was an earthquake as we had a go in a simulator in Florida all the pictures in the house are hanging at an angle and the crack we had in the kitchen is a bit bigger now lots of people woke up but didnt know why.

Anne Palmer, Norwich, united kingdom

it did not exactly bother me but i did wake with slight panic as usually nothing can wake me up!
my first thought upon opening my eyes is that the flat was falling down

alex tolson, sheffield, south yorkshire

First time experience, and quite interesting. I was awake in the bathroom, and first thought it must be the boiler going mad or something. Then the house literally shook, and few small things fell over. Went outside looking for damage on my house, neighbours, and the church, but nothing visible. Several people in the street including the Vicar. Local birds complaining a lot. Apparently neighbour's dog had suddenly demanded to go out about 5 minutes before the event. A bit later the radio news said 4.2, and epicentre under Hull, so I presumed it was John Prescott falling out of bed, and went in for a coffee.

QH, Middle Rasen, LIncolnshire

So much for animal intuition, my cat slept right though it!

Bill, Doncaster, S.Yorks.

I am hearing impaired but woke at 1 am because the bed was rattling, my husband woke at the same time and said it felt like the house was shaking. We live in Amersham in Buckinghamshire. Amazing to think that we felt it too.

Corinne Jeffery, Amersham, Englad

We felt it in bed last night, although I at first put it down to the vegetable curry!!

Will, East Finchley,

I felt it in Swindon. I was awakened to find my flat being shaken from left-right for about 1 minute. At first I thought it was a heavy goods train going past but the horizontal nature of the movement made me think it was something different.

Scants, Swindon, UK

I live in student accommodation in Keele University, Staffordshire, I had been watching a supernatural programme earlier in the night. I was laying in bed when the quake hit, my first thought was not that it was an earthquake, I believed it to be a poltergeist. Thank God someone else was awake to reassure me that I wasn't about to be possessed. My friend down the corridoor in my accommodation thought the building we are was subsiding!!

Miss Caroline Morse, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire

im in sunderland and i felt it, not very strong, but enough to know the house was moving

david j, sunderland, united kingdom

"Man up, Britain. I'm in Arizona, US and we've had 7 earthquakes in that last week and a half, ranging from mild tremors to sizeable jolts."

Americans always have to be bigger and better, don't they.

Tom, London,

I live in Lincoln but I come from Greece. Earthquakes of this magnitude are quite common in Greece. It was felt so vividly because of its small depth and because it took place in the mainland and not under water. If it had taken place under water much of the energy would have been absorbed by the water itself...we would have probably not felt it at all... in international terms it was a small to medium sized one but surely very well felt.

Panos, Lincoln, Lincolnshire

How can climate change increace the frequency of earthquakes?

Answered here by another poster to this site!

the past ten years there has seen an exponential melting of the ice sheets and a noticeable disintegration of the ice shelves, owing to 'global warming'. The loss of mass from the underlying Tectonics Plates causes them to ascend (iso-static rebound), and this results in an increase in the intensification and frequency of global seismological activity. The seismic data of the past ten years confirm this conjecture. Furthermore, the ice shelves impede the flow of glaciers and ice sheets into to the oceans; and when the 'polar regions' are subjected to unprecedented seismic upheavals, these events will then cause the ice sheets and glaciers to be dislodged en masse into the oceans. This occurrence will then instantly destabilize the earth's surface weight distribution (isostasy), and so precipitate a 'crust displacement' (Mag. 12). i.e., axis change!

Keith, chester, uk

I understand Britons are not very used to eartquakes (I too was reluctant to believe that what I hear was an eartquake!) . Anyway, it is an exaggeration to label this one as "huge". I come from southern Italy, and I got used to stronger quakes.
But with no house built with anti-seismic criteria, also light earthquakes may become scary.
When i felt it this morning in south cambs, I was awakened not by the tremor, but by the screeching noise of my house's crackling woodboards.

Salvatore, Cambourne,

We were woken at 0047 hours - the whole house was shaking and ornaments had been moved.

Sandra Horton, Mansfield Woodhouse, UK

i felt something in devizes- but i did not know it was that i thought it was some heavy footed person in the corridor

peter codner, devizes, england

1.00am manchester new about it,thought somthing was under my bed, my heart is still racing now....

jamie, middleton, manchester

i thought i was feeling things until this morning when i look on the news it s quite a bad earthquake wasn't it. But im glad other people felt it and it wasn't just me. i was quite scared because a hour before that i was joking around to my boyfriend about earthquakes.

kirsty muise, Cheshire/Hyde, England

It is quite interesting that the story says the USGS says "the epicentre was 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) from the Earth’s surface"! I thought that BY DEFINITION the epicentre was ON the surface -- i.e., the transposition to the surface from the actual centre of the quake.
Anyway, here in N Herts it stopped the cat purring and then we had mild shaking for 10 seconds or so.

B Dalcher, Hitchin, Herts

Did anyone else sleep straight through it?

James Cornish, Lancaster,

That was so scary the first thing I done was run into a door way.

Dolly, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire,

i woke up to at about 1am i couldf hear a rumbling and my bed was shaking i was pretty freaked, just laid there wondering wat it was but then forgot about it til i heard that this morning

lisa, gtyarmout,

We felt it clearly in Ash Green, which is near Coventry in the Midlands. It was just before 1am, and our house shook quite badly as it is a large 3 storey building. It seemed to only last for about 10 seconds, but it was enough to bring my 2 grown up sons running from their rooms!! This one was definitely stronger than the one in 2002 which was centred in Dudley in the West Midlands. I have family who lve on the north island in New Zealand where earthquakes (and volcanic eruptions) are quite common, but ther buildings are built to cope with the movement. Perhaps we ought to consider doing this in the Uk from now on - who'd have thought it?

Sue, Coventry, UK

We are in the middle of some building work my first thought as the house shook was that they had bodged the job badly....

Alan, Spalding, Lincolnshire

I Live in Hornchurch Essex, on the 9th floor and it woke me at 1am, my bed shook.

clare, hornchurch, essex,

It didn't bother me in the slightest - i don't know what all the fuss is about.

Richard Jones, Reading, Berkshire

WHAT EARTHQUAKE!!!

Never felt a thing 40 miles from epicentre in Kirkby In Ashfield!

Not only did i miss the excitement, but my wife felt the earth move and the bed shook - and it was nothing to do with me!

Snorrrrrrrrrrrr!

Mike Allanson - Kirkby In Ashfield

Mike Allanson, Kirkby In Ashfield, Notts

Definitely felt it in Shrewsbury! Quite a nice way to be woken up!

Michelle , Shrewsbury, UK

Did the Earth move for you last night Darling - "oh yes Prime Minister".

Frederick, London, UK

I thought I was dreaming. Bit of a shock to realise that it wasn't a dream.

Rose, South Yorkshire,

I hope everything's ok.

Borislav Koev, Pernik, bulgaria

just my luck, i was winning a high stake game of buckeroo, god owes me £1.50.

andy goz, york,

Would the Americans please stop talking about how they are so unimpressed with this. We don't care how experienced and cool you are for having them frequently. It's exciting for us - don't steal our thunder!
Ps. I slept through the whole thing damn it!

Summer, Spofforth, Yorkshire

My son, Dave, felt the tremor. We then had the following Skype chat.......[01:09:10] Dave Kirkwood says: Hi Dad... not sure if you are awake, but did you notice an earthquake ?
[01:09:56] Sam Kirkwood says: when?
[01:10:29] Dave Kirkwood says: Just about 3 minutes ago... amazingly I just got a message off Doug in Cambridge who also felt it. Must of been big.
[01:13:53] Sam Kirkwood says: I felt nothing. Watch the news tomorrow. If you and Doug felt it so far apart, I don't know why I didn't. See you soon.
[01:14:08] Dave Kirkwood says: Ok, see you later.
[01:19:11] Dave Kirkwood says: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2008nyae.php
[01:25:58] Sam Kirkwood says: WOW. I missed that one. 4.7 is pretty big by our standards. I'm gonna stay up all night so I don't miss the aftershock. I felt the Dudley quake a couple of years ago. They must be quite random as to where they are felt.
[01:28:44] Dave Kirkwood says: Its the first time I've ever felt one. It was nothing major, just the bed rattling against the side-board for about 10 seconds.
[01:44:58] Sam Kirkwood says: I tried to complete the report on the website you sent but it said I'd filled the boxes wrong so I didn't try again. I thought, the fact that we are Half a mile apart but you and Doug are approx 60 miles apart might have been of some significance.
[01:52:03] Dave Kirkwood says: I can't talk because I don't have a microphone.
[01:54:24] Sam Kirkwood says: O.K. see you soon. Goodnight.
[01:54:31] Dave Kirkwood says: Goodnight.

Sam Kirkwood, Worcester,

I was watching 'Underworld' in an attempt to rid myself of a completely irrational phobia of werewolves. The damned things were attacking when there was a massive rumbling and the floor began shaking violently. Needless to say I nearly required a change of underwear until my partner came downstairs having been shaken out of bed.

I was the only person on the street that went outside to check everything was ok and I noticed that a water main at the top of the road had burst and it is still gushing as I write this. Guess I'm going to be metally scarred by the concept of werewolves for some time longer.

Tired and freaked, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

It was actually in England, as the BBC and ITV are correctly stating. The Times headlines would indicate it reached Scotland as well, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Chris, Northampton, England

I was sitting in bed reading so I felt the whole thing - it lasted about 7 seconds. I knew straight away what it was because I had felt the earthquake in 1990. As it built up, stuff on the dressing table started to move and I began to panic - wondering when it was going to stop! What an experience; I feel sorry for those who missed it.

Carmel Wood, Little Sutton, Cheshire, England

Police in the Midlands received more than 5,000 calls in hour...

grammer please!

Adam Webb, MK, UK

after the earthquake my sister charged into my room asking if i had fallen out of bed, how rude!!!!

gurjeet sanghera, stoke-on-trent, england

Thank God it wasn't just me. Thought my house was going to explode! Worse than anything I felt in Japan!

emma lee, Bolton, Lancs

no one else in my house felt it so i thought i was reliving the excorsist and i was scared lol

becca, wrexham,

i was awoken by my gouse falling down it was soooo scary and i have no insurance , charlotte b. stockton

charlotte b, stockton on tees, cleveland

We felt it too in Gravesend as my hubby had just come in from late shift. I did wonder at the time whether the wind was strong enough to make the house shake as we live in a tall house on a hill, but now know different. Made me feel quite odd.

Debbie Chapman, , Gravesend, Kent

I thought my cats could sence something last night! It took me ages to calm them down this morning!

Chester Copperpot, Stockton, england

My bed was shaking and glasses in the kitchen rattled. The birds started singing but I when I looked out my window across west London nothing looked disturbed. It felt like the epicentre was in St. John's Wood!

Katherine, London

Katherine, London,

Interesting that as I read in bed the birds in our trees made a terrific racket & flew off,then the tremour started and the whole house shook.Obviously the birds sensed something.

Annie, Kirby Muxloe,Leicester, Leicestershire

I felt it in Canterbury! All the way over here in my uni halls... my bed was shaking... couldn't figure out what was going on!!!

Lauren, Canterbury,

Well!!

There's nothing like an earthquake for giving your sex life an extra frisson. No wonder people like living in Japan!

leila , manchester, uk

I dropped my cereal all over the floor, absolutely ruining my carpet. Tell me Mr. Brown you are so quick to respond to disaster management in deprived areas (the flooding crisis) but do you forget you also have voters in central london. Just because I live in Westminister doesn't mean I'm not entitled to compensation when the UK government causes another "environmental mishap".

Gen. Montgomery, London - THE CAPITAL, UK

Cambridge felt it!

Johnny Langridge, Cambridge,

I would just like to let you know that the informatio you are providing is incorrect:
" According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre was 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) from the Earth’s surface."
Tocorrect you, the epicentre is on the earth's surface. It's the focus of the earthquake that is underneath the earth's surface.

Yasmin K, Stockport,

i live in chorley north west england and we felt it but my son who was out walking didn;t so did the whole of the country shake?

maggie, chorley, england

We live in Richmond and I felt my wardrobes shaking....I thought someone must be inside the wardrobe. I was petrified. Oh dear....it was an earthquake!
Edward , Richmond upon Thames

edward, Richmond, Surrey

Was just dozing off at 1 am when I started shaking - I thought I was having some amazing drug induced psychedelic dream until I realised that I've never taken drugs in my life and my whole family started leaving their bedrooms to see what was happening. My second thought was that it was a huge goods train but then we turned on the radio and there it was.

Richard Scotney, Cottingham, East Yorkshire

We felt it in nottingham- we thought it was a big lorry or something. scary!

Rebecca, Nottingham,

I live in Fulham in London, and I even felt a tremor!

James, London,

I was woken at about 1am with a violent shudder, the house seem to be moving from side to side and the mirror rattling against the wall. I knew it was an earthquake due to shear movement that had taken place. I got dressed and went outside, there were people out of their houses along the main street.
The second earthquake I've experienced.

Ken Bridger, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire

I'm now 66 and sleep alone. First time my bed has shook in years!!

Shirley B, Blackpool, UK

it was horrible! it woke me up and i thought i was having a fit or something so i just laid still throughout it and realized what it actually was this morning! amazing!

Jenny Hollings, Hatfield, North Mymms, Herts

the tremor woke me up. my house was shaking. thought I was dreaming!

Tracey, Bicester, Oxfordshire

I'm in Blackpool and i felt the tremours, glads it only lasted few seconds

lyndsey, blackpool, lancashire

We felt it in Clitheroe, near the center of the United Kingdom. A bit of a surprise, since you'd expect this part of the country to be pretty stable!

And yes, it's a small earthquake compared to those in California, but at least we don't have to worry about dropping into the sea any time soon!

Simon, Clitheroe,

omg hit us in coventry bout 1 my dog went mental and my mum shot out of bed to call me lol it was mad!!

chantelle, coventry, west mid

I agree with the Californians here. Anything under 6.0 is not worth mentioning.

Even a 6.9 quake in New Zealand late last year probably didn't make it to the English papers.

http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/NationalNews/tabid/653/Default.aspx

Colin Wilson, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

I felt it in bristol,
i fell out of my bed and banged my knee.

What a night!!!!

james, bristol,

Earthquake off Folkestone, Kent on ..........April 28th this year? Have i just woken up and missed out on a few months of my life?

R van Winkle, Geneva, Switzerland

Our houses in Tetney shook for about ten seconds. I was quite frightened.

Bradley Wright, tetney, limcolnshire

For those that have never experienced an earthquake, I can imagine your 5.3 was quite a surprise.

As a Yank in Los Angeles however, a Mag 5 doesn't even rate getting out of bed during the night. The Mag 7 in 1994--now THAT was an earthquake!

Dev, Simi Valley, Los Angeles CA, USA

Sorry, I slept through it.

Will Wesley, Lancashire, UK

I live in Darlington County Durham,
Felt it here, had me puzzled till I'd seen the News.
Whole house was shaking for around a min.

Dave Nicholson, Darlingon, UK

My three children and I slept through the whole thing. I feel quite cheated.

Karen S, London,

I was just getting into bed and i thought i was imagining things. My bed was rocking! Scary!!
~Told my hub this morning who thought i was goining bonkers, till he rang me from work to tell me what had happened.
Deb, Guisborough ,Teesside

Debs, Guisborough, England

We felt the house shake again lol. i did my usual and got scared lol.hope no one was injured these things can be bad. At least i have a good excuse for the state of my garden now lol.

Darren, brierley hill, West midlands,

Slept like a baby. I hope these new skyscrapers being built in London will take a lesson from the Japanese and be as close to being earthquake proof as possible.

Farrukh, Woking, UK

It woke me up and set the the blackbirds off for 10 minutes or so afterwards

I'm rather hoping we'll get a volcano over here next. That will really put Norwich on the map, and would be timely as we have a dual carriageway now as well.

Mark Spicer, Norwich,

My wife and I were just finishing making love and I've convinced her it was all down to me.....

Just hope she doesn't switch on the TV this morning or read the papers...

B Whitehouse, West Mids,

Man up, Britain. I'm in Arizona, US and we've had 7 earthquakes in that last week and a half, ranging from mild tremors to sizeable jolts.

kit, Yuma, Arizona, US

We felt it down here in Gravesend. I was asleep (& stayed asleep!), boyfriend was woken as the bed was gently banging against his bedside table. He dismissed it at the time but when the alarm went off with the morning news mentioning it - he realised what had happened.

D Whiskin, Gravesend, Kent

Was such an experience, in Leeds our whole bed shook violently, I thought we were going through the floor into the flat downstairs!

Rachel, Leeds, West Yorkshire

i woke up just before the earthquake struck.... i have experienced two others in the last 14 years... i think their exciting but glad no one was seriously hurt

Yvonne Smith, Derby,

Oh My goodness.

The house shook its was amazing.
Glad noone was hurt by this.

Louise manrsden. mansfield woodhouse.

louise marsden, mansfield woodhouse, uk

Hi there.
Woke just before 1.00 this morning with my bed shaking backwards and forwards. Thougt I was dreaming but my partner came upstairs and asked if I had felt the shaking - he doubted himself as had been asleep but went downstairs for a drink! He said the whole house had been shaking and the plants on the work-top were moving about. It lasted about 15 seconds. Was so scary! I am certain I felt another tiny one around 1.25 but this could have been my imagination working overtime! Anyone else feel another one?

Brioney Jade Wyles, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire

I felt it at about 1.15am in cheshire. I was in bed and the whole house started to rattle

Julia Foster Knutsford Cheshire

julia foster, Knutsford, Great Britain

I live in Edgeley, Stockport under the flight path of Manchester Airport and throught a plane had crashed with the vibrations that we felt. I was in my bedroom watching TV at the time and the bed and wardrobes began shaking and last for around 6 seconds. It shocked us all.
Keith Burnett, Stockport, Cheshire

keith Burnett, Stockport, Cheshire

hi i was woken at 1 am this morning my bed shook and moved and the house was moving and creaking i was really worried and sceared

sharron, stoke on trent , stoke on trent

i woke up around 1 am woudeing what was going on i was so scared couldnt get back to sleep for ages claire from hull

claire , hull, yorkshire

i didnt feel anyhting so im just asking what date it was just incase im looking at a different eartquake to last nites 1 :s

taylor, locksbottom, england

I am amused!

Woke up this morning to find a txt from my sis in Leicester about the earthquake.

So I checked the timesonline for the news and I was amazed that it happened while I was still awake. Couldn't remember any of the sort, and then I remember a slight jolting of my chair sometime yesterday. But actually I just passed it off as having to many pints of good ol' Doombar just before!

Andy, London,

That's funny, I'm from England originally but live in Japan a country famous for earthquakes but the largest I've experienced here was 4.8 (although we get them once a month)! Scary isn't it?
Sounds really exciting!

charlie, Osaka, Japan

The quake woke me up and I exclaimed "ARGH!!!" then went back to sleep thinking it was all a dream.

Dom, Preston, UK

I thought i was dreaming last nite.. I heard my cupboards moving....woke up - checkd the time... went back to bed...
crazy!!

Vishan , Bedford,

It's a good job it was 5.3 - had it been any less I may not have woken up to feel it!.
Seriously though a very strange experience - it was as though the whole earth was growling

Sarah Gadd, Shardlow, Derbyshire

I felt it in North London! I thought someone was under my bed! How exciting, thank heavens no-one was hurt

Andy Hill, London, England

felt the tremors in boston lincs at approx 0056hrs whole house shook

kev parker, boston , uk

I felt it!

I'm in Hawarden in North Wales, (near Wrexham) and my house shook!

I was terrified.

Very exciting though! I hope no-one is hurt.

Kelly Eyre, Hawarden, Wales

Wow! the whole house shook for a few seconds.
Scarey!!
DW West Yorkshire

Darrel Woods, Dewsbury, West Yorks

the quake hit derbyshire and lasted around 6 to 10 seconds. I didnt know wot was happening

david cordy, swadlincote, derbyshire

was just gettin ready for bed and it happened. freaked out =[

Matthew, norwich, Norfolk

we live in rotherham and were awoken to the house shaking, and a rumbling noise, my partner was down stairs and came upstairs to see if there was something happening on the street. It was a very scary and lasted probably a few seconds.

claire bradshaw, rotherham, south yorkshire

i felt it in my bed in marylebone!!!

nick, london,

I could feel a minor shaking, from Southampton - things on my shelves moved a little, but it was weak enough that it probably went unnoticed for other people.

Kate, Southampton,

I've just woken up and googled uk earth tremor and found this story. Thank goodness, I thought I was dreaming in full glorious technicolour. I live in Walpole St Andrew - a village in the fens, and I've never experienced an earth tremor before. My wife and I both woke up, but thankfully the kids didn't. I would say there was about 30 seconds of movement, all the furniture was rattling and the heating pipes were clanking. We live about 2 miles from a power station and my immediate thought was that something had gone out of balance over there, or that we were being directly flown over by the Chinooks that often pass nearby. Luckily nothing fell off or broke so I think I can count myself lucky.

Matt Hunter, Wisbech, Walpole St Andrew, Cambridgeshire

We felt it in Grimsby, we live directly next to a train line and thought it w