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

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

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, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline 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 continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.