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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

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

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

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 details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers 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 local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away 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 source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them 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 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.