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

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official believes the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

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

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, 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 contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove 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 pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

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

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.