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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, including seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative 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 account.

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 multiple sacks 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 remarked recently, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces 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."

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions dark beads, hidden among marine plants. 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 encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who participated in the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away 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 source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, antimony, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, 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 shown no impact to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.