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The water company is conducting an inquiry after a vast number of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a potential "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on ocean creatures, as stated by a regional representative, with apprehensions that rare sea life, including coastal birds, small cetaceans, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

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

This coastal area, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

An expert from a environmental organization commented recently, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will attract algae, they will appear edible, in essence."

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

He added that the clean-up efforts have been draining. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"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 countless black pellets, hidden among marine plants. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers 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 most severe I have ever encountered of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an environmental catastrophe. These biobeads are deadly to ocean and land animals, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the coast."

"Community members are laboring diligently to clear away as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. 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 supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

These pellets are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they frequently include toxins including lead, metalloids, and bromine.

An official representative for the water company stated, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the coast, which has revealed no effect to environmental water quality. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.