A MINOR earthquake with a 4.4 magnitude has been felt across the Cardigan and Newcastle Emlyn area this afternoon around 2.30pm.

Reports have been coming in from across south Wales, the south-west of England and the Midlands but there have been no reports of serious damage or injuries.

The British Geological Survey said the epicentre was approximately 20km north-north-east of Swansea and at a depth of 7.4km.

Events of this magnitude only happen in the UK every three to five years.

There are around 3,000 events of this size in the world every year and is the biggest onshore UK event in 10 years, since February 27, 2008, whose epicentre was at Market Rasen and registered 5.2 – 16 times bigger than today’s event

Today’s quake was approximately eight million times smaller than the magnitude 9.0 in Japan in March 2011, added a spokesman for the British Geological Survey.

Debbie’s Jewellers in Newcastle Emlyn said: “We felt a lot of vibration and all the shelves started shaking. The shops next door also felt it but others had no idea at all it had happened. It is so strange.”

Dyfed Powys Police force said it had received "an extremely high volume" of calls relating to tremors. South Wales Police urged the public to avoid calling the emergency services unless it was to report damage or injuries.