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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, such as seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks 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 environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. 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 get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets 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 requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

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

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.