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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures 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 float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. 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 encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants 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 also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

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