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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "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 awful."

"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 impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, 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 seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets 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 such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.