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The water company is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, 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 written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

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

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into 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 have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.