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The water company is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been released 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 a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "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 draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

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

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, 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 worst 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 threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, 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 revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.