Rutland left rocked by its fourth quake

RESIDENTS of Rutland have been hit by its fourth earthquake in 18 months.

The 2.8 magnitude tremor struck beneath the East Midlands market town Oakham at around 10.40pm on Tuesday and was felt more than 20 miles away in Kettering.

Locals took to social media to describe a ‘huge roar’ and the feeling of their houses shaking.

Samantha Hathaway dubbed Rutland the ‘ earthquake capital of Britain’, while Anna Sadler tweeted: ‘ Clearly was very strong in Exton. Very large bang.’ And Twitter user @poompenshankle wrote: ‘We live in Ashwell and it was a BIG rumble that shook our house!’

In January Rutland – the UK’s smallest county – experienced a 3.8 magnitude quake. This followed two earthquakes – one a 3.2 and the other a 3.5 – within 48 hours in April 2014.

There were no reports of damage or injuries on Tuesday, but in January seismologist Glenn Ford warned the incidents ‘could be a build-up to an even bigger earthquake’.

Many residents said they were worried about the frequency of the quakes.

Rach Williamson tweeted: ‘ Thought it was my boiler overheating. Almost went for cover. Might start building a shelter!’ And Helen Wells wrote: ‘Earthquake again. They are becoming too regular!’ The British Geological Survey confirmed the quake took place a mile below Oakham.

Modest: The Pope waves from his Fiat 500L