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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and die.

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

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, 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. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, 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 threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items 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 pellets 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 requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

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