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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

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

Camber Sands, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, 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 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 millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, 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 contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

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 frequently include harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

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

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