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The water company is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces 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 can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. 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 seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species 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 origin 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 contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.