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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, collecting 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 clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. 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 raking for days, 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 seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, 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 reached out to for comment.