UK News 29-10-2001 East Midlands Shaken By Earthquake who: British Geological Survey what: Says earthquake registered 3.8 on the Richter scale where: Leicestershire when: Yesterday snippet: "The Midlands was rocked by Britain`s strongest earthquake in 70 years yesterday," reports The Mirror. The British Geological Survey confirmed that the quake measured 3.8 on the Richter scale and 999 emergency call lines were jammed as people across four counties feared for their safety. "The tremor, which occurred six miles below the earth`s surface, was the biggest in the region since 1750," reports Terri Judd in The Independent. The epicentre was in Leicestershire but it was reportedly felt in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire. However, the BBC rubbishes The Mirror`s claim that last night`s quake was the strongest since 1931. Julian Bukits of the BGS in Edinburgh says "the tremor was considerably smaller than an earthquake, centred on Warwick, which rocked the West Midlands on 23 September, 2000." In fact, continues Judd in The Independent, the only casualty of yesterday`s earthquake was a chimney pot in Melton Mowbray. "Everything was shaking," says 36 year-old postal worker Teresa Christian, whose house suffered the damage. "I heard the stack fall, but I didn`t know what was happening. At first I thought a plane had crashed or a lorry had run into a house." [... more]

What The Papers Say is delivered to thousands of readers every morning by web, WAP and email. Sign up today!