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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official believes the beads 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.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely 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 polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story 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 countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers 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 local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets 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 biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.