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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

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

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident 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 smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added 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 story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, 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 won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are working tirelessly to clear away 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 interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.