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The water company is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

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

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. 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 meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.