A ship laden with potentially explosive cargo remains at anchor off the Kent coast - despite being due in Malta on Friday.

Ruby - a Maltese-owned and flagged vessel - is carrying about 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate from Russia but suffered damage soon after leaving port on August 22.

Since September 25, she has been at an anchorage point about 15 miles off Margate - but in international waters - and being monitored by the UK Coastguard.

According to VesselFinder, a global ship tracking website, the 2012-built ship was expected to arrive in Malta at 6pm on Friday.

But she remains in place off the north Kent coast along with Italian-flagged tug boat Kamarina, which is accompanying the ship.

Fears had been raised over her load as the ammonium nitrate on board is about seven times more than the amount that caused a devastating explosion in Beirut in 2020, killing 200 people.

But her owners said earlier this month how the cargo poses “no threat in its current state”.

They said Ruby’s safety certificates are fully compliant with the Maltese authorities and that “ammonium nitrate is a commonly transported cargo by this method”.

Despite this, she has not been allowed entry into any ports for long-term repairs due to the volume of the chemical on board - which is used in agricultural fertiliser - and the fact the ship has been damaged.

Her voyage has been beset by problems - firstly suffering damage to the hull, rudder and propellers after grounding on the seabed shortly after leaving the north Russian port of Kandalaksha on August 22.

Having undergone temporary repairs in Tromso in Norway, she was cleared to return to sea by surveyors and the Maltese authorities on September 5 to find a port for permanent repairs while being under escort by tugs throughout the voyage.

But no ports have been willing to grant her passage into harbour.

To date, no agreement has been made to transfer the cargo to other ships to allow Ruby to continue on her way.

Some reports initially referred to the bulk carrier being Russian-owned - but it is owned by a Maltese firm and sails under the island nation’s flag.