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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a potential "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, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, requesting an account.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. 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 raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents 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 biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water 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. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for a statement.