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Southern Water is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and perish.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an account.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent 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 over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story 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 millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers 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 worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists 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 shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.