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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces 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 draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly 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 pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have 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 regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.