Third fracking tremor in a week is UK’S biggest

THE largest tremor recorded at a UK fracking site struck yesterday with residents hearing a “guttural roar”.

The tremor, measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale, was felt near the UK’S only active fracking site, less than two days after the previous record 2.1 tremor at the facility.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) detected the earthquake at the Cuadrilla energy site near Blackpool at 8.30am yesterday.

It comes two days after a 2.1 “micro seismic event” was detected on Saturday evening. That event lead to operations being suspended at the site. They had not resumed by the time of yesterday’s tremor.

According to the BGS, this is the third tremor at the Preston New Road site in a week. The Oil and Gas Authority is carrying out an investigation.

Heather Goodwin, a resident of nearby Lytham St Anne’s, said: “The walls of my house shook, there was a really deep, guttural roar. For a moment, I really thought my house was going to fall down.”

Friends of the Earth called for a complete fracking ban, with Jamie Peters, a spokesman, saying the quakes were “getting out of hand”.

Cuadrilla said no fracking was being carried out at the time of the latest tremor.