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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, 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 released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, collecting dozens of bags 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 environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event 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, effectively."

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

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.