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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, 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 remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale 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 commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"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 diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. 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 worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.