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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, such as seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers 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 immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.