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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an account.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, 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 – 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 encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

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

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.