Kent shipwreck with unexploded bombs is deteriorating faster than expected, survey finds

A shipwreck off the Kent coast packed with 1,400 tonnes of unexploded bombs is deteriorating faster than expected, according to a new survey, raising concerns of a greater risk of a tsunami.

The SS Richard Montgomery has been monitored since it sank in the Thames Estuary between Sheerness and Southend-on-Sea in 1944.

Even though it’s considered stable, the speed in which it’s decaying has prompted experts to speed up plans to remove the ship’s masts, which are at risk of falling onto the explosives.

Historian Colin Harvey has studied the wreck of the American vessel for more than 20 years.

He told ITV News Meridian it cannot be left dormant any longer.

"The consensus has been and continues to be to leave it alone, I don't necessarily think it's the wisest decision.

"It's dissolving, it's falling apart and the risk of something falling and triggering the explosives only increases as a result."

The Department for Transport (DfT) had already planned to remove the masts, but following the results of a new survey, which show the ship is deteriorating at a more rapid rate than previously thought, the timetable for the removal has been brought forward - with a plan expected to be in place within 12 months.

But it admits they can only remove the masts "should it be possible to establish a safe and effective operational methodology for doing so".

Kevin Mckenna, the newly-elected Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, said: "I want to be assured that we're all safe, I live in Sittingbourne and I want to be as safe as everybody else.

"Some of the contents of the ship have spilled out onto the sea floor, making accessing the ship quite hard.

"They (The DfT) want to make sure that they've got a plan where they can safely approach the wreck, make sure they can take off these risky masts, and then make it safer, without compromising the safety of anyone on land or nearby."

A DfT spokesperson added: “Our priority will always be to ensure the safety of the public and reduce any risk posed by the SS Richard Montgomery.

“We commissioned experts to carry out vital surveying work to the wreckage and based on their findings, we are revising our initial timeframe and are updating our strategy to remove the ship’s masts in the safest manner possible.”

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