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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "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, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"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 black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

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

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting 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 provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.