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

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an account.

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

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. 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 clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

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

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.