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The water company is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

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

Camber Sands, situated 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 clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been raking for days, 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 encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

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

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.