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The water company is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

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

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.