A World War Two wreck in the Thames estuary is a ticking time bomb, an expert has warned, as it has not been dealt with 80 years after the vessel first sunk.
The SS Richard Montgomery was carrying 7,000 tonnes of explosives and weapons when it grounded on the sandbank close to the Isle of Grain in August 1944.
A rescue effort took place to try and unload the ship’s cargo but a crack appeared in its hull and only half of the explosives were salvaged.
Professor David Alexander of University College London told the Standard the ship remains a “serious threat” and in a worse case scenario it could explode creating a five-metre tsunami up the Thames.
The expert has called on the Government to deal with the “bizarre” wreck which could be targeted by terrorists, struck by a large cargo ship or waste away, exposing the explosives inside.
Doctor Alexander warned that the wreck is only 5.1km away from the Isle of Grain, where there are 28 petroleum tanks and five natural gas tanks that are “the size and the shape of the Royal Albert Hall”.
He also cited a Royal Military report written in the 1970s about the ship which said in an extreme case there could be “an explosion producing a column of water and sand about 3,000 metres high, a five-metre tsunami and goodness knows what else”.
He said: “There are plenty of other things that could happen, for example a series of repeated explosions. I think the government's attitude that unexploded ordnance gets safer over time is not supported by ordnance experts.”
“My personal opinion is there is a risk of some kind. It consists of several things. One is a potential terrorist attack and during the Olympics in 2012 there was quite intensive surveillance of the Montgomery to ensure that didn’t happen.
“A collision with a ship is always a risk and there have been some very near misses.”
The expert also warned that the ship, which was built from cheap steel, could “crack to the point where the structure begins to fall apart,”destabilising some of the explosives inside.
A recent report has suggested that the ship could collapse in the next 12 years, Doctor Alexander said.
When asked by the Standard if the ship was a ticking time bomb, he replied: “Nobody really knows. I think to some extent it probably is.
“Studies of the Baltic Sea suggest that right now is the peak time for the release of toxic materials from sunken Second World War shipping.”
Plans were made to evacuate the town of Sheerness, which is around 2km from the wreck, for six months to deal with the structure, the expert explained.
But Doctor Alexander believes that modern technology may help deal with the ship, with robots able to access areas that are too dangerous for divers.
He added: “I think they could construct a temporary blast wall along the waterfront in Sheerness and Isle of Grain.
“They would have to reroute shipping along the meadway approach channel and they would have to make sure that emergency planning is better than it is now.
“I think with modern technology and robotics there is quite a bit they could do to salvage the material on board.”
Tim Bell, a local historian, previously told the Standard the ship made him a “nervous wreck” adding that the more research he did the more alarmed he became about the situation.
He said: “Most people that live on the Isle of Sheppey and Sheerness are perhaps complacent of the potential risk on their doorstep.
“The main risk is a collision by a vessel, and there have been many near misses including a collision, and with no mast to identify where it is could be even more of a danger for smaller craft.““I always become a nervous wreck talking about this because the wreck is only in a few fathoms of water.”
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has said the risk of a major explosion at the site is remote but “it is considered prudent to monitor the condition of the wreck”.
The MCA carries out surveys of the wreck on a regular basis to ensure changes to the site are discovered quickly.
An information page on the Government website explained: “It is clear from the results of these surveys that the hull is subject to the prevailing environmental conditions and is showing evidence of gradual deterioration, however, the wreck is considered to be in a stable condition.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “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 and we continue to monitor the site 24 hours a day and undertake detailed surveys to assess the wreck’s condition.”
