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

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

A local official believes the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

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 pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale 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 is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details 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, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers 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 worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

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

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.