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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.