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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an account.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, 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 attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.