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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an explanation.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

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

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach 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 cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents 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 pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins such as lead, metalloids, 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 polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"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 have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.