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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small 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, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants 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."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing 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 reached out to for comment.