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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

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

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away 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 source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

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

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.