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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of polluted polymer pellets appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, as stated by a regional representative, with concerns that rare sea life, such as seabirds, small cetaceans, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

A local official believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has sent a letter to the top official, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been working urgently to clear the beads, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is vast, and it is unlikely they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Marine animals will ingest small plastic items once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will smell like food, in essence."

"Once they’ve eaten it, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which draws in diving coastal birds."

The expert continued that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the sequence of events and the details for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"They are so small that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are millions black pellets, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we won’t be able to get rid of them all. It is the worst I have ever encountered of a contaminated shoreline."

The elected official, who joined the clean-up efforts, stated, "The huge number of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. 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 laboring diligently to remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. The water company must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they frequently include toxins including heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to investigate the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. This investigation work is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the shore, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are also supporting with the removal process."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. This data has been provided with the district council and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.