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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and seals, might consume them and die.

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

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is immense, and it is unlikely 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 witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, 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 attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the story 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 get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers 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 worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing 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 local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the cause of polymer pellets which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the coast, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.