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The water company is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, demanding an account.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent 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 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 sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away 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 origin 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 contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.