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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, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable 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. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; 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 plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. 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, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

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

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

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

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