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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and perish.

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

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked 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 ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. 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 beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "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 more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.