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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 potential "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume 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 water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, 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 nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

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

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing 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.