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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, such as seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been released 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, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, 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. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together 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, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate 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 shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.