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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative suspects the beads 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, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent 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 represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, 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 terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, 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 removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

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