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The water company is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

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 small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, 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 removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – 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 seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

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

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

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

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

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.