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The water company is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads were found on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a potential "environmental catastrophe".

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 consume them and perish.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an explanation.

Camber Sands, situated in the southeastern region, is a highly popular shoreline, known for unique sandy ecosystems and vast stretches of fine grains.

Volunteers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, collecting dozens of bags with the plastic waste, but the extent 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 remarked over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will create a slick which draws in plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was out there cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the details for this devastating incident. 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 millions dark beads, nestled under seaweed. It’s an unachievable mission – helpers 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 worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The elected official, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of plastic beads that have washed up here threatens an environmental catastrophe. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are already seeing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are working tirelessly to clear away as many beads 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 requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are additionally hazardous to dogs as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company stated, "We are working closely with the regulatory body and local council to investigate the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to remove the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. This data has been shared with the district council and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.