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

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued 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 devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – 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 worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

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

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.