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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

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

Volunteers have been working urgently to clear the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the contamination event is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "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 attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"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. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been raking for days, and they will keep at it, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the removal work, stated, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the beach."

"Local residents 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 origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins such as heavy metals, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.