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The water company is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, 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 remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, 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 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 local MP, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting 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 shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.