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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

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

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – 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 worst I have ever encountered 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 threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up 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 extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.