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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident 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, in essence."

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

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. 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 laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants 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 hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

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