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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative believes 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 East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been racing against time to clear the beads, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event 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."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"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 countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must quickly determine 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 significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include harmful substances such as lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

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

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.