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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and perish.

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

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, 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 recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

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

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, 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 local MP, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads 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 remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.