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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, 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 participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.