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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written 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 expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"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 raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous 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 including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

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

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

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.