Quake is biggest since 1780

The epicentre of the tremor was near Ripon and measured 3.6 on the Richter scale - the biggest quake to shake the area for 230 years.

The earthquake, which struck at 9.02pm, was felt as far away as County Durham, Cumbria and West Yorkshire.

A seismologist from the BGS confirmed that it was the biggest earthquake in that part of North Yorkshire since 1780 when a tremor measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale hit Wensleydale.

Julian Bukits, assistant seismologist, added: "Seismically, this part of Yorkshire is not a very active area. It's quite a big event to be felt here."

Dr Aoife O'Mongain from the BGS said the epicentre of the quake was 10 kilometres west of Ripon with a depth of six kilometres.

She added: "It would have only lasted for a couple of seconds.

"And at that strength it is not likely that it would have caused any damage.

"People living in the vicinity may have felt their windows rattling as if a lorry was going past."

Several people reported feeling the effects of the earthquake.

Ruth Campbell, from Ripon, said: "The whole house shuddered and there was a rumbling noise, we turned down the television to listen to it.

"It felt as if an underground train was running directly under the house. I wondered if our boiler had blown up or something and we were feeling the after effects of the explosion.

"Our neighbour said they had thought a vehicle had crashed into the side of their house."

Sue Kitchener, from Thirsk, added: "My sofa shook and I thought 'what the heck'?

"I thought was that my little girl running around upstairs, the monkey, but then common sense kicked in and I thought no I didn't hear her footsteps.

"I then read on facebook that other friends in the area had also witnessed it. It was quite scarey to be honest."

Sarah Whitnell, from Thirsk, said: "It lasted a few seconds, but shook all the houses and the whole block of flats here.

"It felt significant, not just a slight move."

Mark Doughty, also from Thirsk, added: "It felt to us as though a large low flying aircraft had just flown overhead, something on the scale of the RAF Vulcan."

Middleham resident Andy Brown, 44, said: "It was absolutely weird, everything just started vibrating and shaking in the house for about 45 seconds.

"There was a definite rumble and I just said to my wife 'what was that'?

"I've never experienced anything like it."

Carol Leaman, from Leyburn, also felt the quake.

She said: "The bungalow actually shook. It was like an explosion to start with, the house shook and the dog jumped up and rushed to the window, barking.

"It really was quite dramatic. It was alarming enough to get us up and looking outside."

The 64-year-old said at first she didn't realise she had experienced an earthquake.

She said: "The first thing I thought was I wondered if a plane had crashed, then I wondered about a gas explosion because there had been a smell of gas along the road in the last few days.

"I looked for signs of any fire and there wasn't any, so we began to think that maybe it was an earthquake."

Nurse Jayne Hawthorne, 44, said her flat in the centre of York shook for a few seconds.

She said: "There was a noise and then we could hear the walls crack and then the flat shook. The whole place rattled."

Residents in Hurworth, near Darlington, also felt the quake. One resident said: "We were just sitting listening to the radio and suddenly there was a 'whoosh' and everything in the china cabinet in the dining room rattled.

"It only lasted about five or six seconds but it was certainly noticeable"

Hurworth resident Stephen Wright added: "It sounded like someone slamming the back door and a shockwave went through the house shaking our two sofas, which are mounted on metal frames sitting on the lounge carpet on a concrete floor.

"My daughter's boyfriend, who was upstairs and actually leaning against the external bedroom, wall described the wall as 'rippling'.

Tonight's tremor is the second to hit England in the space of a few weeks.

Last month the British Geological Survey confirmed that an earthquake of local magnitude 3.5 on the Richter scale took place shortly before 11pm on December 21 in Coniston in the Lake District.

Anyone who experienced the quake is asked to report it to the BGS on www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/

*Did you feel the quake? Contact The Northern Echo newsdesk on 01325-505054, or email newsdesk@nne.co.uk.