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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove 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 clear every piece.

A representative 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. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, 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 form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, 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 awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, hidden among marine plants. 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 most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative 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 been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.