The 3.3 magnitude tremor was felt in Stoke-on-Trent and surrounding areas at around 8.20pm.

Mark Begg, 30, said he was at home in Uttoxeter when he felt "a very large shake".

He said he checked "around the house to see if I could see anything" and "after noticing there were no signs of damage I concluded it was most likely a mini earthquake".

Tom, 38, in Cheadle, Staffordshire, said: "I was sitting watching an episode of Only Connect with my wife on YouTube and as we opened another bottle of wine the whole house shook.

"I thought either one of the children had fallen out of bed or something else had happened."

The British Geological Survey said it had been contacted by residents throughout the region.

"Reports described 'an initial rumbling then a bang', 'felt more like a shunt, like something had hit something' and 'the windows and doors all rattled,'" it said on Twitter.