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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising worries of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

Camber Sands, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, collecting dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a environmental organization remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will ingest small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which draws in plunging seabirds."

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

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an impossible task – helpers 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 elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to ocean and land animals, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to remove as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are recognized for carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

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

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

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.