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You are in: Leicester > Features > Life > Did The Earth Move For You?


Did The Earth Move For You?

The biggest earthquake in the UK for nearly 25 years shook homes across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland just before 01:00 on 27 February 2008. Listen to what you had to say and post your experiences!

The earthquake reached a magnitude of 5.3 on the Richter scale and woke most people in our county in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The largest earthquake for nearly 25 years had its epicentre a few km north of Market Rasen in Lincolnshire.

Damage to a chimney of a house in Leicester

Damage to a chimney of a house in Leics

Listen: Your Tremor Views

Buildings were shaken across Leicestershire and Rutland and fortunately there was minor damage.

The fire service had around 11 reports of collapsed chimneys and numerous calls to the emergency services, mostly from people alarmed by the tremor which lasted for about 10 seconds.

But it was definitely a shaky night for many of you. Listen to what you had to say and read the news story...

Listen: 'Quake Impact Assessed

Dr Richard England, Lecturer in Geophysics and Head of SEIS-UK, Department of Geology at the University of Leicester, said: "The 'quake is the largest since the magnitude 5.4 event which occurred on the Lleyn Peninsular in North Wales in 1984.

Listen to Richard as he explains what causes the tremors...

"In 2001 there was an earthquake near Melton Mowbray, which reached the magnitude of 4.1 on the Richter scale."

Dr Richard England, Head of SEIS-UK

"The most recent events to occur in the Midlands were the Magnitude 5.0 event which occurred in Dudley in October 2002 and caused minor damage, and the 4.1 event which occurred near Melton Mowbray in 2001.

"A minor aftershock has been recorded by the British Geological Survey ( Such aftershocks are not unusual, but further events are usually of lower magnitude and unlikely to be felt or have any effects on property.

"Earthquakes of this magnitude occur in the UK between every 20 to 30 years.


"While it is not possible to predict the exact timing or location of earthquakes, by studying the frequency at which earthquakes of particular magnitudes occur it is possible to state that an earthquake of a particular magnitude is likely to occur within a given period of time.

"The UK is struck by 10's to 100's of minor earthquakes each year, but most are so weak that they are only detected by seismometers.

"Although the UK does not lie on a tectonic plate boundary, where most earthquakes occur, stresses build up in the crust beneath the UK because it is trapped and being shortened slightly between the mid-Atlantic ridge and the Alpine mountain range."

last updated: 27/02/2008 at 13:57
created: 27/02/2008

Have Your Say

Tell us about your experiences of the earthquake...

The BBC reserves the right to edit comments submitted.

the earth quake woke me up and when i looked out i could see the cars going down the hill by it self it was so scary

i was in bed and suddenly evryfin started 2 shake! I couldn't believ it was an earthquake!

My Grandma felt it and she felt it in Leister and called me up and said it was anything great. She said the room shaked and went back to bed. It wearnt that bg she said. x

Jessica Cavalho
i did not feel the earth quake last night becuase i slept throught it but i dont know how because appently it was really hard!

i was asleep for all of it didnt even no it had happened until someone told me at work

there was a big bang just before it happend it was kind of like a rour 2 cups in are kitchen broke but it was also sortof exiting

Syan Hopkins
I felt the quake and i was really scared. I heard the tins rattle and all my nan heard was a bang. It was quite scary and larger than the last one.


