Houses 'shook' and windows 'rattled' as earthquake ripples across North Staffordshire

Homes were reportedly "shaking" and windows and doors "rattled" on Wednesday night (28 June) as an earthquake trembled across North Staffordshire.

The British Geological Survey issued a seismic alert just before midnight yesterday saying the tremor happened at around 8.21pm, with a magnitude of 3.3 ML and lasted around 14.1 seconds.

The survey said it was mostly felt in the village of Tean, but several people reported feeling the quake from across Stoke-On-Trent, and in towns such as Cheadle and Stafford.

People reported feeling "rumbling, before a loud bang" around 9.20pm, while others said windows and doors were "rattling".

In a Tweet, the survey wrote: "BGS have received several reports from residents throughout the region, mainly from within around 20km of the epicentre.

"Reports described 'an initial rumbling then a bang', 'felt more like a shunt, like something had hit something' and 'the windows and doors all rattled'."

The survey alert reads:

Many people took to social media to post about the earthquake.

One person wrote: "Definitely felt in Uttoxeter - didn't realise it was an earthquake thought the crash was something to do with the neighbours building work."

Councillor Abi Brown, ward member for Meir Park on Stoke-on-Trent City Council, also posted about the incident.

She wrote: "Think we just had a little earthquake..."

Another said: "Rumbles felt here in Stafford. Thought I was imagining it at first but the wife also felt it.

"Yes here in Tean whole house shook."

Another also confirmed they felt the earthquake: "Also in Tean, felt it shake the house."

An earthquake is what happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another.

The surface where they slip is called the fault or fault plane.