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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

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

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

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

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

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.