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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline 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 get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these biobeads, 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 hold a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.