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The water company is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

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. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

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

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.