Earthquake shakes Cornwall

Cornwall has been shaken by an earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale.

It occurred just before midnight last night and its epicentre was in the Bristol Channel, 25 miles west of Bude on the Cornish coast.

There are no reports of any injuries.

A spokesman for the British Geological Survey said: "There were reports of houses vibrating and rumbling."

Inspector Steve Harrison, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "We received in excess of 40 telephone calls from members of the public throughout Devon and Cornwall, particularly in west, mid and north Devon and in east, mid and north Cornwall, reporting earth tremors.

"We have received no reports of any injuries but there have been three incidences of minor structural damage."

He said the British Geological Survey had confirmed the quake's centre was 30-40km to the west of Hartland Point and 40-50km off Trevose Head.

Jason Willoughby had just gone to bed at Pensilva near Liskeard, Cornwall when the quake struck.

He said: "We thought it was a lorry going down the road at first but then the house started to shake and it passed over the top of us.

"We went outside to see what it was. We thought it was an aircraft or something of that nature, but there was nothing."

He said the quake seemed to last around 5-10 seconds.

Mr Willoughby's partner Tanya Horrocks, who is seven and a half months pregnant, said: "In quite a short space of time it got really loud and felt as if it went through the house but with it came a tremor.

"It was scary, I was scared because it was so intense and not something we have experience before."