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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

A local official believes the beads may have been spilled 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, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, 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.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. 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 most severe I have ever encountered 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 threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company 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 aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

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

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.