NORTH-East experts say they would be able to tell if fracking for gas caused earthquakes.

A study by Newcastle, Durham and Keele universities found that the number of seismic events had declined sharply since the coal industry collapsed in the 1980s.

Experts found that the UK experienced just a handful of man-made earthquakes a year.

Analysis of 1,769 seismic events between 1970 and 2012 of 1.5 magnitude and above - the minimum detectable threshold - suggested that at least a fifth (21 per cent) were caused by humans.

These include two tremors caused by fracking in Lancashire in 2011 before a temporary ban was imposed on the practice.

Professor Richard Davies, of Newcastle University, who led the research, said it provided the world's first baseline for the impacts of the controversial fracking process before exploitation of shale gas was ramped up.

The Government has said it is going "all out for shale" to boost energy security and the economy but opponents fear fracking - in which liquid is pumped deep underground at high pressure to fracture rock and release gas - causes earthquakes and other environmental problems.

Prof Davies said: "Earthquakes triggered or induced by humans are not a new concept for us here in the UK, but earthquakes related to fracking are.

"Understanding what the current situation is and setting a national baseline is imperative, otherwise how can we say with any confidence in the future what the impact of fracking has been nationwide?"

He said the national baseline, along with seismic monitoring at fracking sites, could show the impact of shale gas exploration on numbers of earthquakes.

"If widespread exploitation of the UK's shale reservoirs is granted and numbers consistently rise then, in conjunction with local monitoring data, we should be able to confidently demonstrate a causal link."

He added: "Historically, fracking-related earthquakes have been small, but the UK is criss-crossed with faults - some of which may be critically stressed - and if triggered these could result in earthquakes that people can feel."

The research looked at about 8,000 onshore seismic events recorded by the British Geological Survey between 1970 and 2012, with a range of origins including mining, industrial explosions, natural causes and lightning strikes.

Of the 1,769 events that were 1.5 magnitude or above, at least 21 per cent were related to human activity, at least 40 per cent were natural occurrences and 39 per cent were "undefined".

Last month, environmental campaigners in the region accused the Government of "sacrificing" beauty spots to fracking.

The claim was made after some 132 areas, including swathes of the North York Moors and Teesside, were identified for new licences for oil and gas exploration, subject to further environmental assessment and conditions to protect wildlife and habitats.