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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official suspects the beads may have been released from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat 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 unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – helpers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have washed up here threatens an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are already seeing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins including lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of polymer pellets which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We have performed water-quality sampling on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.