My sofa shook as quake hit Lake District

SWATHES of the Lake District, Cumbria and Lancashire were rocked by a 3.3-magnitude earthquake.

- BY CHRIS RICHES

Frightened families reported the ground moving underneath their feet as the tremor shook homes at 11.23pm on Wednesday night.

Some 1,250 locals contacted the Volcano Discovery website, claiming it felt like their roof would cave in and the noise was like the boom of a car backfiring as their sofas shook.

The quake was measured at a depth of 1.86 miles and originated just off the coast of Silverdale, Lancs.

Sue Callon, who lives in the Lake District, said: "I felt it in Backbarrow and it sounded like crashing in the roof. Very scary."

While Elaine Baxter also felt the tremor in Barrow, Cumbria.