The tremor was recorded at a depth of 9.5 miles (15km) about 1.4 miles (2km) west of Ramsgate in Thanet shortly at around 3am.

Simon Moores, who lives in Westgate-On-Sea close to Margate, told Sky News: "There was a sudden, violent jarring and shaking.

"Dogs started barking. It lasted for around 10 seconds. It was very disconcerting indeed."

The British Geological Survey tweeted: "Prelim data now online: earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/earthquakes/re...4.2 magnitude earthquake nr Sandwich, Kent."

Earthquakes similar in size to the one that hit Kent happen around every two years in the UK and about 4,500 times a year across the world, it said.

It added: "Today's 4.2 magnitude Ramsgate earthquake is approx 260,000 times smaller than the 7.8 Nepal Quake event."
Kent Police were inundated with calls about the incident.

The force tweeted: "We are aware of reports of tremors being felt by residents in East Kent & are monitoring the situation. No injuries have been reported."

Back in 2007, Folkestone experienced a tremor of magnitude 4.3.

The strongest earthquake recorded in the UK since measurements began was the 1931 Dogger Bank quake in the North Sea.

Striking 60 miles (97km) off the Yorkshire coast it had a magnitude of 6.1 and the effects were felt throughout Great Britain as well as Belgium and France.