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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems 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 improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, 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 – volunteers 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 worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently 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 commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

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

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.