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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative believes the beads may have been released from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – 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 contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for comment.