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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

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

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

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. 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 raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, stated, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to remove as many pellets 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 commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.