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14:42, 17 FEB 2018 UPDATED15:53, 17 FEB 2018

Britain hit by EARTHQUAKE as terrified residents report ‘violent shaking’ in homes from Cornwall to Blackpool

Terrified Britons told how their homes shook when the quake struck just after 2.30pm near Swansea in South Wales

A major 4.4-magnitude earthquake shook buildings across western parts of Britain, with people from Cornwall to Blackpool reporting a strong tremor that knocked objects off walls and caused lights to flicker.

Terrified Britons told of violent shaking and objects falling off shelves when the quake - one of the strongest in a decade - struck just after 2.30pm near Swansea in South Wales.

Swansea University was evacuated and people ran into the streets in fear, as the tremor was compared to everything from a "massive explosion" to a car crash.

The earthquake was felt by as many as 10 million Brits and as far away as 200 miles from the epicentre in Cwmllynfell.

There was confusion and panic in the immediate aftermath, as many Britons weren't sure what they were experiencing as their homes shook.