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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting 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.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. 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 draining. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story 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 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 won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.