‘It felt as if our house was being broken into’ - Suffolk and Essex residents react to earthquake

A graph from a British Geological Survey monitoring station showing the earthquake measuring magnitude 4.2 which hit Kent overnight. Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Services have not received any reports of structural damage or injuries. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo.

It happened at about 3am this morning, with many people reporting they’d been woken by the tremors.

While the earthquake itself was near Sandwich, Kent, recorded at a depth of about 1.4 miles, tremors reached at least as far as Ipswich.

Roddy Ashworth, who lives in Wivenhoe, said: “It woke me up because the house was shaking for a second.

“Initially I thought it was a chopper going over the ranges but everything started shaking and there are no exercises over there right now.

“It was enough to wake everyone in the house up.”

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, based in Paris, said the earthquake measured 4.3 on the Richter scale and struck shortly before 3am.

It tweeted: “M4.3 earthquake strikes 46km SE of Southend-on-Sea (United Kingdom).”

The US Geological Survey measured the quake as magnitude 4.0.

Kent Police was inundated with calls about the incident.

The force tweeted: “We are aware of reports of tremors being felt by residents in East Kent & are monitoring the situation. No injuries have been reported.”

Residents tweeted their reactions after being awoken by the tremors.

Vikki Petts said: “So we just had a 4.3 magnitude earthquake in Kent and my housemates slept through the entire thing. Certainly woke me up!”

Jonathan Tapp said: “Earthquake in East Kent and now can’t get back to sleep. Despite months spent in NZ this is my first one that I’ve felt.”

Iain Buchanan said: “So I’m not going mental, my house shook due to an earthquake in Kent of all places. Thank god for 24 hrs news & social media to find out.”

Mr Buchanan, of Ramsgate, said: “Lying in bed when the house suddenly shook. Thought something had collapsed outside, so got up to check.

“I’ve looked outside and all appears to be find in the street. No damage that I can see. Will obviously see more later when it’s lighter. Weird experience anyway.”

The British Geological Survey tweeted: “Prelim data now online: earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/earthquakes/re... 4.2 magnitude earthquake nr Sandwich, Kent.”

Via our newspapers’ Twitter accounts, Tracey Bradley tweeted: “So that’s what that was, felt it here in Felixstowe, was weird sensation not as bad as one felt years ago.”

Kirsty Youngs added: “Anyone else in the area feel it, or was I just dreaming!?”

Meanwhile on Facebook, Laura White said: “Yes! I suddenly woke in Felixstowe as the crystal dangly bits on the lights were shaking!!”

Clair McKinley said: “My hubby woke me up to tell me & [we were] on Woodbridge Road in Ipswich.”

Sam Todd said: “Yes! Whole house was shaking thought I was dreaming.”

Robbie Hutchinson said: “Yes, we thought our house was being broken into. (Rushmere St Andrew, IP5).”

Tammy Welham, from Ipswich, emailed in saying: “I woke up to my whole house trembling and my windows rattling in there frames, how bizarre I thought and noted the time as 3am then went back to sleep...I’m not on any social media so as soon as 7am came I called my mum and asked her if she felt anything...she just laughed at me so I Googled the little event and low and behold...an earthquake!”

Hayden & Sonya emailed in saying: “At 3am my wife and I felt the whole house shake and got very confused thinking was this an earthquake or not? As we don’t usually get them. But it was incredible.”

Simon McKinley said: “Just to let you know I live in Ipswich and was about to fall a sleep a little while ago and felt my house shake. I looked into it and it’s reported as 4.3m earthquake.”

One man, who wanted to remain anonymous, added: “At exactly 2:53am this morning I was awake as I usually am at this time as I have trouble sleeping.

I suddenly felt my whole building shake, I live in a relatively new apartment block. I’ve felt the building shake or rattle as I call it before when trucks go past over the rumble cobbles too fast. It wasn’t like this.

“I can only describe it as like jelly. It was quite disorientating but probably only lasted thirty seconds. But it was a definite wobble not a shake. I could hear my wooden window frame in my bedroom creaking as the building moved considerably and my bed also had a significant wobble.”

It seems the tremor was not as strong in west Suffolk. Martin Mortimer tweet: “Didn’t feel a thing in Sudbury, Suffolk.”

Although Caitlin Phillips, also in Sudbury, said: “Glad to know it was an earthquake and not the poltergeist waking me in the early hours of the morning. I thought intruders were pounding up the stairs and making the floors shake, a most bizarre sensation”

-Were you awoken by the earthquake? Leave your comments below, email matt.hunter@archant.co.uk or call 01473 324802.