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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. 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, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts 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 details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers 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 contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.