Blackpool hit by earthquake that sounded like rattling train as furniture shakes

04 February 2023 , 17:20

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Residents in Blackpool were hit by an earthquake on Friday night (Image: Getty Images)

Residents in Blackpool have been hit by a tiny earthquake, following tremor warnings over Liz Truss's previous U-turn on the fracking ban.

The seaside resort was struck by a miniature earthquake on Friday night, with reports of furniture shaking and a noise like a rattling train.

Coming in at 1.5 on the Richter scale and traced to 2km beneath the earth's surface, the tremor's magnitude was luckily not enough to cause significant damage.

But the shaking ground was the second quake in recent days, after another recorded 35km of the coast in the Irish Sea on January 20 measuring a magnitude of 2.1.

Blackpool locals described hearing a noise like an approaching train and seeing furniture shake in the small tremor (Getty Images)

But locals have said they were already concerned about the return of the tremors, when former PM Ms Truss made the controversial decision on fracking in September.

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Lancashire has experienced multiple earth tremors since 2018, when fracking firm Cuadrilla started the process in the county to extract crucial energy resources.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) claimed it was "well known" that the process can result in man-made or ‘induced’ earthquakes.

Lancashire's recent tremors follow a controversial decision from Liz Truss to lift the ban on fracking, which scientists say can cause small earthquakes (Getty Images)

Carol Kerr who lives in the village of Little Plumpton, near Preston, 18 years ago told Lancs Live that when the fracking started, she said she felt the earth shake whilst walking around her estate, something which she described as "terrifying".

She said: "You move to an area like this to retire. I mean, I've lived in St. Anne's for years, I had a business there, and you move here to retire, and have it comfortable.

"But now, nobody's gonna want to buy your property. I'm getting to an age where I'd really like to downsize now and nobody's going to want to move here.

Anti-fracking protesters gathered outside Cuadrilla's site near Blackpool following Liz Truss' controversial move in September (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

"The fact is, it's always going to be here. As long as there isn't a fracking ban in place, they [Cuadrilla] will always come back and keep trying to frack around here. It's a money-maker."

There is no suggestion currently that Friday night's tremor was directly caused by fracking.

Blackpool locals described hearing a noise similar to that of an approaching train during the shudder at around 7.30pm, with animals being disturbed adding that "computers and cabinets shook".

The BGS said: "We have received online macroseismic reports from residents in Blackpool, Little Plumpton, Weeton and Westby of this event being felt."

Susie Beever