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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, raising worries of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

These biobeads could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that protected marine species, including coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

A local official believes the beads may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an account.

This coastal area, located in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Recently, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are countless dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers 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 encountered 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 risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing increased mortality among marine species on the coast."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

The beads are additionally hazardous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been provided with the district council and the regulatory body."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.