SS Richard Montgomery: Tourists flock to Sheerness wreck

Visitor numbers to a wartime shipwreck full of explosives have increased after reports it will be partially removed, according to local tour operators.

The cargo ship SS Richard Montgomery was anchored in Sheerness, Kent, when it grounded in the Thames Estuary and broke up in 1944.

In 2020 contractors were sought to remove the above water masts from the vessel.

The Department for Transport would not comment on a removal timetable.

Martin Hamer, who runs tours out to the wreck, said: "We are normally very, very quiet up until around April time - this has blown up beyond all our expectations."

"There seems to be an appetite for seeing the ship," he added.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said contractors are undertaking surveys and risk assessments of the site with the help of two Royal Navy specialists before any removal takes place.

The wreck, which is packed with 1,400 tonnes of explosives, is monitored round the clock by port authorities and protected by a 500m exclusion zone.

Richard Bain, managing director of Jetstream Tours, has also seen an increase in interest in visits to the wreck site.

Mr Bain said: "Normally at this time of year we would be concentrating on other routes and preparing for dry dock. We're being asked for trips out there mainly from photography groups and the general public.

"Seeing the masts gives you a sense of the dangers that lurk beneath the water and whilst the ship is still laden with bombs, having the masts there helps to see something tangible in front of them."

The DfT said: "We continue to monitor the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery closely and it is understood that it is in a relatively stable condition."

"Expert wreck assessors are now undertaking detailed surveys which will inform future work to reduce the height of the masts."

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