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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water 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 aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

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

An official representative for the water company said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

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

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.