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The water company is currently investigating after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

The plastic pellets could cause severe harm on ocean creatures, according to a regional representative, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

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, demanding an account.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will consume small plastic items once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"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 countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers have been working tirelessly, 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 polluted beach."

The local MP, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore threatens an ecological disaster. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

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

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins including lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the cause of polymer pellets which have washed up on Camber Beach. This investigation work is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.