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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident 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 smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins including lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

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

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.