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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, 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 clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen 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 threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads 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 dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

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

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect 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.