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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter 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 vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

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

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, 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 worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

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

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.