­ A 5.1-magnitude earthquake has rocked western France, felt as far as Bordeaux in the south and Normandy in the north.

The “moderate” quake prompted concern across the country, but no damage has been reported so far.

France’s national seismic service said the epicentre of the 5.1 magnitude earthquake on Friday morning was near the town of Bressuire, which is between Angers and La Rochelle in the west of the country.

It shook cities including Le Mans, Nantes, Rennes and Caen.

The quake is a relatively strong one for France, which generally experiences infrequent seismic activity of this scale and is home to numerous historic buildings not designed to withstand quakes.

The Architecture of the Notre Dame Show all 16 1 /16 The Architecture of the Notre Dame The Architecture of the Notre Dame This photograph taken on November 9, 2019, shows the choir screen at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in Paris. - Crowds of stunned Parisians and tourists -- some crying, others offering prayers -- watched on in horror in central Paris on April 15, 2019, as flames engulfed the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Gasps and cries of "Oh my god" erupted at 7:50 pm (1750 GMT) when the top portion of the church's spire came crashing down into an inferno that has spread to the entire roof. AFP/Getty Images The Architecture of the Notre Dame This photograph taken on November 9, 2019, shows a funerary monument to Archbishop Jean-Baptiste de Belloy at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in Paris. - Crowds of stunned Parisians and tourists -- some crying, others offering prayers -- watched on in horror in central Paris on April 15, 2019, as flames engulfed the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Gasps and cries of "Oh my god" erupted at 7:50 pm (1750 GMT) when the top portion of the church's spire came crashing down into an inferno that has spread to the entire roof. AFP/Getty Images The Architecture of the Notre Dame This photograph taken on November 9, 2019, shows the choir screen at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in Paris. - Crowds of stunned Parisians and tourists -- some crying, others offering prayers -- watched on in horror in central Paris on April 15, 2019, as flames engulfed the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Gasps and cries of "Oh my god" erupted at 7:50 pm (1750 GMT) when the top portion of the church's spire came crashing down into an inferno that has spread to the entire roof. AFP/Getty Images The Architecture of the Notre Dame In this file photo taken on April 14, 2017 shows a priest wiping the Crown of Thorns, a relic of the passion of Christ- at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. - A colossal fire swept through the famed Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris on April 15, 2019, causing a spire to collapse and threatening to destroy the entire masterpiece and its precious artworks. The fire, which began in the early evening, sent flames and huge clouds of grey smoke billowing into the Paris sky as stunned Parisians and tourists watched on in sheer horror. AFP/Getty Images The Architecture of the Notre Dame Notre Dame interior columns, Paris. Alamy Stock Photo The Architecture of the Notre Dame Notre Dame Cathedral interior statue of Mary and baby Jesus Paris France Europe EU Alamy Stock Photo The Architecture of the Notre Dame 14th Century Painted Wood Carvings of the life of Jesus on a Choir Screen inside Notre Dame Cathedral Paris France Alamy Stock Photo The Architecture of the Notre Dame B7J9PK INTERIOR OF NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL PARIS Alamy The Architecture of the Notre Dame 14th Century Painted Wood Carvings of the life of Jesus on a Choir Screen inside Notre Dame Cathedral Paris France Alamy Stock Photo The Architecture of the Notre Dame Stained glass depicting Sainte Genevieve's life, cloister of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, Paris, France, Europe Alamy Stock Photo The Architecture of the Notre Dame Interior of Notre Dame, Paris, France Alamy Stock Photo The Architecture of the Notre Dame Interior view of Notre Dame Paris France. Image shot 08/2008. Exact date unknown Alamy Stock Photo The Architecture of the Notre Dame Interior of the Notre Dame Cathedral with many stained glass windows and a hanging chandelier in Paris France Alamy Stock Photo The Architecture of the Notre Dame Cathedral Notre-Dame, Interior, Rose Window, Strasbourg, Alsace, Bas-Rhin Department, France Alamy Stock Photo The Architecture of the Notre Dame Nave, Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, Paris, France, Europe Alamy The Architecture of the Notre Dame France. Paris. Cathedral of Notre- Dame. Inside. Alamy Stock Photo

“I felt the house shaking here in Montsoreau,” wrote Peter Symon on Twitter who was 70km (43 miles) away from Bressuire. “It was the same sensation as the earthquake in Birmingham in the 1990s: like someone moving a wardrobe next door.”

It comes after a 4.9 magnitude quake struck the country in March this year, near Bordeaux, causing chimneys to fall from an empty apartment block.

The largest earthquake ever recorded in France was the 1909 Provence quake which had a magnitude of 6.2.