If you think the government drags its heels on most issues, remind yourself that there is a, literal, ticking time bomb just off our coast that all those in power have studiously ignored for more than 80 years.

Everyone knows about the SS Richard Montgomery – the Second World War ship that ran aground and sank just a mile or so off the coast of Sheerness. If, for some reason you haven’t (and especially if you live on Sheppey), you may want to sit down.

In short, the vessel was carrying more than 6,000 tonnes of bombs and detonators. Having sailed from its home in the US, it was due to travel with an Allied convoy to the French coast in August 1944, and was mooring off Sheppey before making the final leg of its journey.

To cut a long story short, it grounded, broke apart and sank. Taking to the bottom of the shallow waters of the Thames Estuary its explosive load.

There were some efforts in the days and years that followed to salvage some – but far from all – of its deadly cargo. Post-war offers from the US to remove it were, inexplicably, turned down.

Then, for reasons which further baffle, it was decided to leave it there. The ‘hoping the problem goes away’ approach was taken.

But, of course, it doesn’t. It just means those bombs have eroded and are now in an even more fragile state.

Unexploded ordnance from both world wars are still regularly unearthed or washed up on our coast or inland, and no-one says ‘oh yes, crack it open with a hammer if you fancy it, it’s safe now’. No. They call the bomb disposal experts in and conduct controlled explosions which are often rather dramatic. And that’s just for the little ones.

Should something set those on the Montgomery off, the impact could be significant. I’ll not scare you, should this all be news to you, but some talk of a tsunami being triggered. The ‘best case’ scenario is it merely blows the windows out of a few properties in Sheerness. Hopefully we’ll not find out.

Yet while we remember the likes of Dunkirk and other significant anniversaries from the last world war (there’s talk of a sequel being planned, apparently) there remains a distinct lack of interest from anyone in power to actually do anything about the bombs lurking in the not-so-deep off Sheerness.

One assumes they know their time in power is limited to just a handful of years and play Russian roulette in the hope the Montgomery, lying about 15 metres down, doesn’t go up on their watch.

They can’t even get round to removing the masts of the vessel which continue to protrude above the waterline amid concerns they are putting additional weight on the disintegrating cargo hold.

The masts were identified as an issue five years ago. Last year, work was said to take place “within 12 months”. This April it was delayed yet again, amid much jabbering about “vital preparatory work” and “establishing a safe and effective methodology” for removing them.

All the while, of course, the estimated 13,500 bombs left submerged within it, packing an overall total of 1,434 tonnes of TNT, continue to pose a threat.

It’s worth remembering, at this point, that last year a 500kg bomb was found in a garden in Plymouth. Just the one, but it prompted 10,000 people to be evacuated and more than 100 personnel from the Navy and Army to handle it.

When another US bomb-carrying, wartime ship - the SS Edgar Wakeman, subsequently renamed the SS Kielce - sunk in the Channel in 1944, was ‘dealt with it’ in a controlled explosion in 1967, the seismic impact could be felt 5,000 miles away. It brought, according to one newspaper report at the time, "panic to Folkestone's town and chaos to the beaches" with windows smashed and ceilings brought down. A 3ft wave reportedly swept in too. Folkestone was, it should be noted, some four miles away and the wreck lying some 27 metres down. But the ship’s cargo - although never confirmed - was said to be similar to that in the wreck off Sheerness.

Which, of course, reminds you that to tackle all those bombs lying in their watery grave would require a project on a scale government accountants would have a heart attack over.

One expert I spoke to a few years back said he estimated getting all the bombs off the Montgomery would take six months, given the complexity of the job, and require the evacuation of 40,000 people.

And that, needless to say, is why this particular ticking time bomb will continue to be kicked, like the proverbial can, down the road for no doubt years to come. A poor turn of phrase, no doubt, given the fragility of the wreck.

Or, of course, it blows up when an errant crab triggers a catastrophe and we finally get an answer as to what would happen if the deadly cargo of the SS Richard Montgomery exploded.