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

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable 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 sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. 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 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 – helpers 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 most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. 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 race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. 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 additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted 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."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.