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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly 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 origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. 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 additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.