 Demolition was delayed in 1954 when the salvage ship working at Queens Fort was diverted to assist with the urgent demolition of The Nore Fort in the Thames Estuary, which had been damaged following a collision with a Norwegian ship, leaving remains considered hazardous to shipping in the area.Demolition of the three forts was completed in 1955.Various forts were re-occupied for pirate radio in the mid-1960s.