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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

A local official believes the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the beads, 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 clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers 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 encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away 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 biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.