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The water company is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and perish.

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

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

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, 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 plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there 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 very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore 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 beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads 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 frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.