Thousands of people in the north-east of England said they felt their homes shake on Saturday night, as British seismologists confirmed the region had been hit by a minor earthquake.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, an online monitoring service, said the cause was a 3.9 magnitude quake close to Grimsby, affecting an area of more than three million inhabitants.
The British Geological Survey confirmed the reports, saying it happened at a depth of 18km.
Social media lit up as residents of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire described their experiences.
People as far away as Birmingham and Swindon reported feeling the effects.
They described a rumble of about three to five seconds at about 11.15pm.
There were no reports of injuries although the Grimsby Telegraph quoted a resident of Great Coats saying: "Made my budgie fall off his perch."
Although damage is rare, the UK is hit by as many 20 quakes a year that are strong enough for people to feel.
The same area was rocked in 2008 by a 5.2 magnitude quake which had its epicentre just 30 miles Hull.
The strongest earthquake ever recorded in the UK happened in June 1931 in Dogger Bank in the North Sea with a magnitude of 6.1. The epicentre was safely 60 miles off the Yorkshire coast drastically reducing the amount of damage.