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The water company is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the beads 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 the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume 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 can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, 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 won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins including lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

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

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.