North of England rattled by second quake

An earthquake has shaken northern England for the second time in a fortnight.

The tremor, measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale, struck near Ripon, North Yorkshire, at 9.02pm yesterday and was felt as far afield as West Yorkshire, Tyne & Wear, and Cumbria.

Residents living near the epicentre described hearing crockery rattling and doors shaking on their hinges for several seconds.

The rumble followed a quake of magnitude 3.5 which struck in Coniston in the Lake District shortly on December 21.

Cumbria Fire Service, Lancashire Fire Service and Lancashire Police all said they had not received any calls from the public.

Other recent quakes in the UK include one in February 2008, when a major tremor centred on Lincolnshire shook much of the UK, causing damage to buildings and leaving at least one person injured.

The tremor – which measured 5.2 on the Richter scale – struck at around 1am on February 27 at Market Rasen, Lincs.

And in Kent in April 2007, another tremor measured 4.3 on the Richter scale.

Homes were damaged as chimneys toppled, walls cracked and masonry fell as the tremor hit Folkestone.