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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an account.

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 clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"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 dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been raking for days, 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 encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.