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The water company is currently investigating after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

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

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts 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 devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"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 countless dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers 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 contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "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 already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"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 nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances including lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.