The wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery remains in a stable condition, according to the latest survey of the explosives-laden vessel.

The ship sunk in the Thames Estuary off the coast of Sheerness in 1944 with thousands of tonnes of explosives on board.

It has lain dormant on the sea bed ever since.

Every year the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) surveys the ship every year to make there’s no danger of its cargo going off.

Many fear it is an accident waiting to happen, and warn of dire consequences if the munitions were to blow up.

Doomsday claims include predictions the blast would be one of the biggest ever non-nuclear explosions, cause shockwaves that would blow out windows as far away as East London and cause Britain’s first tsunami.

The latest survey was carried out in November 2011, but the report has only recently been made available by the MCA.

It said: “The results of the 2011 survey indicate that the wreck remains in a similar condition to that found in 2009 and 2010, with the wreck structure appearing to be stable but with some signs of deteriorarion.”

Key areas which have been identified include a crack in the hull which has lengthened by 27cm since previous sonar readings in 2010.

A partial collapse of the deck appears to not to have worsened over the last two years.

An opening on the rear side of the front section remains stable while a split on the rear portion has also not changed.

There is no evidence of any munitions escaping from the wreck, the report adds.

The ship is seen as one of the major obstacles to a Thames Estuary airport.

Earlier this year the Medway Messenger revealed that making the ship safe could cost up to £30 million in an operation lasting up to 18 months.

Alison Kentuck, receiver of wrecks at MCA, defended the decision not to release the report to the public immediately.

She said: “When the surveyor is out actually surveying the wreck, they can see on the screen straight away the sonar signal so anything significant they can hopefully see.

What you can’t see is visual detail. For instance in one measurement there is a 27cm difference.

“By the time it is released, the data itself has already been calculated measured, reported on and provided to us, our technical advisors and anyone who deals directly with the wreck is already aware.”