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The water company is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

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

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

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach 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 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 encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.