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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, located 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, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely 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 seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"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 millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, 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 clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

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

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.