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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and die.

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, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest 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 draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

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

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.