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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities 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."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.