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

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals 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 float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact 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.