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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

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

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, demanding an account.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

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

An expert from a environmental organization commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, 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."

He added that the removal work 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 awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal 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 urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.