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The water company is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

A local official suspects the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert 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 ocean; they will attract algae, 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 exhausting. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. 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 cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities 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 meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.