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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 possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

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

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, 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. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – 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, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. 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 remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. This data has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.