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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

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

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

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

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers 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 worst I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, 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 nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the source 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 specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.