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The water company is currently investigating after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads appeared on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

These biobeads could cause severe harm on marine life, according to a local MP, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might ingest them and die.

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, demanding an account.

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to clear the pellets, filling multiple sacks with the plastic waste, but the scale of the contamination event is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there removing the debris. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, the shoreline looks normal. But as soon as you approach closely, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. 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 most severe I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are deadly to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many pellets 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 asked them to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a high number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are recognized for cancer-causing traits, and they often contain toxins such as lead, metalloids, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is still in progress."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the beads. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

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

The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.