The masts of an explosives-filled World War Two ship should be preserved after they are salvaged, according to a new petition.
The SS Richard Montgomery’s masts have been visible from Kent and Essex since the US military vessel was wrecked in the Thames Estuary in 1944.
A petition is calling for the masts to be displayed locally after the UK government confirmed they would be removed for safety reasons related to explosives that remain within the wreck.
The US government, which owns the wreck, was contacted for comment, while the Department for Transport (DfT) said it was “too early” to say what will happen to the masts.