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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative suspects the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

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

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; 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 float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers 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 local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

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

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as lead, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted 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."

Regulatory officials has been reached out to for comment.