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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated 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 pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts 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 story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – 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 seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council 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 beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.