Tremors were felt across the country, with reports coming in from as far afield as Newcastle and Southampton.

The quake struck shortly before 1am, with tremors lasting for about 10 seconds.

Houses shook violently but there are currently no reports of any structural damage.

Call centre staff at Northamptonshire Police received hundreds of calls in the half-hour period immediately after the tremors.

Insp Phil Kings said: "We received 250 calls from members of the public across the county, particularly in Northampton, in relation to the minor earth tremor."

Geologist Dr Mark Cowley from Slapton, near Towcester said: "The first thing I said to my wife was 'that's an earthquake' and then went straight back to sleep.

"Really, the science is pretty ropey when it comes to predicting them.

"We are fairly lucky because major earthquakes are normally associated with the movement of tectonic plates on the earth's crust like the San Andreas fault in California and in Japan.

"We do not get these major movements but that doesn't mean the earth doesn't move as much as it does around the tectonic plates."

The British Geographical Survey reported a quake of the magnitude of 5.2 and said the epicentre was 30 miles south of Kingston-upon-Hull.

Dr Brian Baptie of the BGS said: "An earthquake of this size, of magnitude five or thereabouts, will occur roughly every 10 to 20 years in the UK."

The BGS recorded an aftershock with a magnitude of 1.8 at about 4am.

The main 10-second quake, which struck at a depth of 9.6 miles, was the biggest recorded example since one with a magnitude of 5.4 struck north Wales in 1984.

The West Midlands was hit by an earthquake in 2002 in the Dudley area that reached a magnitude of 5.0 and caused damage to homes.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue said: "We have had several reports from people who felt the tremors. The guys at our Corby station thought the roof was going to come off."

A spokesman for The Met Office said: "We have been getting calls from all over the country. It appears to have affected all of England."

Spencer Ward councillor Mel De Cruz said: "I received numerous calls from residents in my ward about the earthquake. I have particularly heard from pensioners who have been alone and very frightened."

Dozens of Chron readers called the newsroom in the early hours of this morning to report feeling the tremors.

Your experiences of the earthquake - click here

Tracey Bushell of Thorplands, Northampton said: "Everything in the whole house starting shaking and rattling. I thought the ceiling would cave in.

"My partner ran downstairs and thought it was the ghosts haunting us as we had just been away on a ghost hunting weekend."

Karen Lydiatt, of Stockmead Road, Little Billing, said: "I was woken by my bed shaking and the built in wardrobe doors rattling.

"At first I thought I was dreaming, but as I sat up I knew it was for real. I doubt i will sleep properly now in fear of another, the question is what caused it to happen?"

Did you capture any of the effects of the earthquake on camera or video? If so, let us know. Click here to send the Chron an email or telephone our newsdesk on 01604 467030.

Pensioner Cecily Richardson of Duke Street, Northampton, said: "I was so frightened, I was absolutely petrified. I was looking out of the window and couldn't see anything. I didn't pluck up the courage to go back to bed until 4am."

Nova Huggins of Kislingbury said: "It was like something from The Exorcist, I felt the bed shake ansd the pictures vibrating on the walls. It lasted about 12 seconds, I've never been so scared."

Dave Clemo, from Brambleside in Kettering, said: "I was woken by the windows and mirrors shaking. There was no damage but the wife was shaken. She held on to me and asked me to make the earth stop
moving.

"Also our pet parrot appears to have fallen off his perch and is bleeding slightly from his beak."

Ian Cramp in Colwyn Road, Northampton said: "I was sat on the sofa, skipping through channels looking for something to watch when it suddenly felt like the house was trying to get up and move.

"I have been looking to move lately, but I didn't quite think my house wanted to move with me."

Miranda Brawn, of Rectory Farm, Northampton said: "It was like we were sitting in a boat going over a big wave, everything was moving around us."

How earthquakes happen - click here

Between 200 and 300 earthquakes are detected and located in the UK every year by the British Geological Survey. But only a few of these are actually felt by people without specialist equipment.

Buildings are deemed to be at risk from earthquakes above 5 on the Richter Scale, according to the Environment Agency.

Last April, more than 70 homes were cordoned off near Folkestone in Kent following a tremor of 4.3, the biggest earthquake to hit Britain in five years.

The largest earthquake recorded in the UK was about 75 miles north-east of Great Yarmouth in the North Sea on June 7, 1931. It measured 6.1 and was felt across Britain, in eastern Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and parts of Germany, France, Norway and Denmark.

Did you feel the earthquake? If so, let us know. Click here to send the Chron an email or telephone our newsdesk on 01604 467030.