Tremor felt in the Thames Valley

A man was hurt when a chimney fell into his bedroom in South Yorkshire

The biggest earthquake in the UK for nearly 25 years was felt in Berkshire and Oxfordshire - more than 100 miles from its epicentre in Lincolnshire.

People across the UK reported feeling the tremor, which began shortly before 0100 GMT and lasted for ten seconds.

Many residents from across the Thames Valley contacted the BBC after feeling their homes shaking.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) said the epicentre of the 5.2 magnitude quake was near Market Rasen.

Jack Jones, from Didcot, Oxfordshire, said he had just got back from his job presenting at a local radio station in Witney, when he felt the tremor.

"I was settling down to sleep when, although I'm now questioning myself, I felt the whole house shake.

I thought either my mum or step-dad had fallen out of bed Stuart Stansbury, Caversham

"The doors shook and so did my bed as well as my collection of vinyl hangings. I madly considered standing in the door frame."

Stuart Stansbury, who lives in Caversham, Reading, told the BBC: "There was a thump type noise, like when a house moves.

"I thought either my mum or step-dad had fallen out of bed.

"But following the initial noise I felt what felt like a tremor and the house wobbling.

"I thought it could be wind outside. It wasn't huge, not enough to make anything jolt or vibrate around but I did feel something happen to the house."

How earthquakes happen

Former Liberal Democrat MP David Rendel said he felt the tremor at his home in Thatcham, Berkshire.

"I was sitting at my desk downstairs when I heard quite a large noise and I thought there was a lorry or a train going by but I'm not near a railway line and my lane outside is very small for lorries.

"There then seemed to be a shaking and then at this stage I realised it was an earthquake because it was going on so long.

"I got up and I felt giddy. It was very definite."

The quake, which struck at 0056 GMT at a depth of 15.4km (9.6 miles), was the biggest recorded example since one with a magnitude of 5.4 struck north Wales in 1984.