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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest 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 top official, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, 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 local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities 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 hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. 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. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.