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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads 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 pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include 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 look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.