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Southern Water 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".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, 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 top official, requesting an account.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, 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 awful."

"The pellets are minuscule 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 working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. 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 threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing 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 urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities 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."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they contain 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 chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.