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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

A local official suspects the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an account.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. 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 worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, 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.