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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details 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 get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises 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 local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

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