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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the beads, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. 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 most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins including lead, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing 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.