IT struck without warning and devastated an entire neighbourhood.

The biggest earthquake to hit the UK for five years damaged more than 474 buildings in Folkestone, Kent, and left many residents homeless.

The quake, which measured 4.3 on the Richter scale, is likely to result in a repair bill running into tens of millions of pounds.

However, the shock waves - in one sense at least - have spread far beyond the town itself.

People in the Hampshire village of Barton on Sea have been left wondering whether a huge crack in the cliffs is the result of what happened 140 miles along the coast.

A debate has also begun on whether Barton and neighbouring communities could one day suffer the same fate as Folkestone.

The tremors that wreaked havoc in Kent originated near an underground fault line that extends across the English Channel from France.

A similar line dissects the Isle of Wight and then continues west, skirting the coastal communities of Keyhaven, Christchurch and Barton.

With six quakes in the UK in the past 23 years, it may be just a matter of time before the scenes witnessed in Kent are repeated in Hampshire.

However, people living and working on the coast can draw comfort from the reassuring messages being issued by people such as Dr Lisa McNeill.

A lecturer at the School of Ocean and Earth Science at the University of Southampton, Dr McNeill says Barton is no more at risk than many other parts of the UK.

"There are hundreds of faults all over England, most of which are old and completely inactive," she said.

"The western side of the country and communities near the English Channel are more prone to earthquakes than other parts of the UK.

"We're in the middle of a plate and most of the activity tends to take place on the edges.

"There's no reason for anyone in this part of the country to be particularly worried. In fact, they should be less worried than people living in areas such as north-west Wales."

Meanwhile, experts are continuing to inspect the damage to the cliffs at Barton.

Shortly after the quake struck Folkestone at 8.18am on Saturday, part of the coastline was sealed off amid fears that the 31-metre fissure spotted near the eastern end of the village could cause a massive landslide.

More than 50 beach huts at the base of the cliff were evacuated to prevent anyone being crushed by falling rock.

People are divided on whether the fissure was caused by the Kent quake or is simply the latest evidence of the erosion that has plagued the area for generations.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency claims it is "too coincidental" to ignore any link between the crack and the destruction that occurred in Folkestone.

However, some of the beach hut owners say the crack began to appear about a month ago.

Dr Ian West, of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, is more concerned about the problems that appear to be building up at the opposite end of the village.

He said: "All the recent publicity has centred on a small fissure near Marine Drive East.

"A much larger one at the western side of Barton shows new signs of movement. This is more important and represents the start of a much larger cliff fall.

"It's going to go in the future - we just don't know when."

Dr West has visited the area and posted a warning on his website, saying the latest cracks have appeared in the past few weeks.

He adds: "Movement has occurred at the old sheet piling - a relic of failed sea defences. The gravel has sunk appreciably, exposing a large piece of piling that's very much tilted towards the sea.

"Water is flowing through a gap and lubricating any major landslide. This stretch is going to collapse further."