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Southern Water is currently investigating after millions of polluted polymer pellets were found on the shoreline at Camber, sparking fears of a possible "ecological disaster".

The plastic pellets could have a dire impact on marine life, according to a local MP, with apprehensions that rare sea life, such as coastal birds, porpoises, and seals, might ingest them and perish.

The area's representative believes the pellets may have been released from a local filtration facility and has sent a letter to the water company's chief executive, requesting an explanation.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for rare dune habitat and vast stretches of fine grains.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the pellets, filling dozens of bags with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is improbable they will be able to clear every piece.

A representative from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever witnessed. It is polluted polymer. Sea creatures will consume tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the sea; they will draw in microorganisms, they will smell like food, in essence."

"After ingestion, that’s it: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will create a slick which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the clean-up efforts have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the sequence of events and the story for this horrendous event. It’s terrible."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a very long way off, 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 impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will keep at it, 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 participated in the removal work, remarked, "The huge number of plastic beads that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These plastic items are lethal to marine life and wildlife, and we are observing more dead seals, fish and porpoises on the beach."

"Local residents are laboring diligently to clear away as many beads as possible, but it’s a race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their local wastewater plants could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to commit every possible asset to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to canines as they contain a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances including lead, antimony, and chemical elements.

An official representative for Southern Water stated, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and district authorities to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"The district council is overseeing removal of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are additionally assisting with the removal process."

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

The Environment Agency has been reached out to for a statement.