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The water company is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, 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 diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers 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 local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances such as heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the cause 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 specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

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

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.