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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, 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 account.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline 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 cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.