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The water company is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "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 coastal birds, porpoises, and marine mammals, might consume them and die.

A local official suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, requesting an account.

Camber Sands, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring rare dune habitat and expansive areas of golden sand.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the pellets, collecting dozens of bags 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 over the weekend, "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 appear edible, effectively."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which draws in diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the story for this devastating incident. It’s awful."

"They are so small that from a very long way off, the shoreline appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the most severe I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in the clean-up efforts, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore threatens an environmental catastrophe. 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 pellets as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the source of these pellets, and I’ve asked them to dedicate all available resources to aiding the removal efforts in the interim."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain toxins such as lead, metalloids, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have been deposited on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using specialists with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted water-quality sampling on the beach, which has shown no impact to the aquatic environment. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the Environment Agency."

The Environment Agency has been contacted for a statement.