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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, such as seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

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

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.