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The water company is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been raking for days, 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 encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.