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Terror quake measured 5.3 on the scale

28/ 2/2008

RESIDENTS poured out on to the streets as Salford was hit by an earthquake during the early hours of Wednesday.

Home owners in Swinton were desperate to check whether their properties had escaped the force of the tremor which hit Britain just after 1am.

Marketing officer for Salford council, Dan Stribling, 28, of Ellesmere Street, Swinton, said: "The quake woke my wife Charlotte and I up and we could see the wall of our end terrace house shaking in and out.

"I heard noises outside and looked out of the window to see loads of people in the street checking up on their chimneys and roofs.

"I didn’t feel the need to follow their example and happily there didn’t appear to be any damage, which given the strength of the tremor is amazing."

The earthquake lasted between 10 and 20 seconds and measured 5.3 on the Richter Scale. Across Salford people have been talking of their lucky escapes.

Emma Foster, 31, of Park Street, Swinton, was woken by the sound of what she thought was burglars downstairs.

She said: "I was terrified because I was on my own in the house. Then it occurred to me that they must be incredibly stupid burglars to be making such a noise, and that’s when my bed started to shake and I realised it was an earthquake."

Jay Brown, manager of the Animals in Distress sanctuary, in Silver Street, Irlam said none of the rescue animals were affected, although her own seven-month-old cat Luna was ‘most disgruntled’.

She said: "The tremor woke me up - my whole room was shaking, and I knew straight away it was an earthquake because I remember going through one a couple of years ago when I was in Leeds.

"This one was much stronger though, and Luna came to sit on the bed afterwards with a most disgruntled look on her face."

A council spokesman said there had been no reports of damage to houses or highways. Greater Manchester Fire Service and GMP said there had been a number of calls from residents but there were no reports of injuries or damage.

Click on the video window to see Channel M's report ...