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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, 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 plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. 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, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers 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 seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants 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 also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

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

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

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