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The water company is currently investigating after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an account.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.