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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization 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 ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

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

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – 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 seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.