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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale 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 remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event 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 clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, 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 contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities 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."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.