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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing 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 nearby treatment facilities 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."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets 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 have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.