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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

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

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, 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 create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly 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 urgently establish 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."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists 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 beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.