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

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official believes the beads may have been released 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, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, 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 cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads 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 biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

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

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

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

"We have performed 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 reached out to for a statement.