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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

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

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. 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 sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.