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

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and perish.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the cause 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 vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.