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The water company is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads 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 seals, might consume them and die.

A local official believes the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

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

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here 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 beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract 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 provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.