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The water company is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

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

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

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

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

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