Leighton Buzzard earthquake: Bedfordshire town hit by second earthquake in one DAY... and fourth in a fortnight

A Bedfordshire town has been hit by two earthquakes in one day.

A 3.0 magnitude quake hit just north of Leighton Buzzard shortly after 8.30am on Tuesday, the British Geological Survey said.

Later, the BGS said it received reports from members of the public saying they felt another tremor shortly after 12.30pm.

The second earthquake on Tuesday measured 2.1 on the Richter scale, the BGS said.

"This is in addition to the events on the 8 & 13 Sept, with magnitudes 3.5 & 2.1 respectively," it wrote on Twitter.

"One of the latest reports is noted as saying 'apparently we had another earthquake today in Leighton Buzzard at about 13.40. I didn’t feel it downstairs, but my husband did in the loft.'"

On September 13, a 2.1 magnitude earthquake hit the area, and was thought to have been an aftershock from the magnitude 3.3 quake that was felt on September 8.

During the September 8 quake, residents described strong shaking and rattling walls, though police said no injuries were reported.

Glenn Ford, a seismologist at BGS, said the tremors on Tuesday would be classed as an aftershock from the earthquake two weeks ago.

"They are not happening more frequently in the area - they are happening all the time in the UK," he told the Standard.

"What's unusual about them is we only feel about only 10 per cent feel them. We don't really perceive the UK as a country associated with earthquakes, so when they occur, it can be quite disturbing.

"But it's very typical behaviour seen in the UK and we have had historic activity in that area.

"Most of them are so small, people don't notice them."

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