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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, raising fears of a possible "environmental catastrophe".

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

The area's representative suspects the pellets may have been spilled from a local filtration facility and has written to the top official, demanding an account.

This coastal area, located in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, featuring unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of fine grains.

Volunteers have been working urgently to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the extent of the pollution spill is vast, and it is improbable they will be able to remove all of them.

A representative from a plastic pollution campaign group commented over the weekend, "This represents the most severe contamination incident I have ever witnessed. It is contaminated plastic. Sea creatures will ingest tiny synthetic pieces once they are in the ocean; they will draw in microorganisms, they will appear edible, in essence."

"After ingestion, there's no turning back: they can’t get it out. They will float on the surface. It will form a layer which attracts diving coastal birds."

He added that the removal work have been draining. "Recently, I was on site removing the debris. We are trying to accurately reconstruct the timeline and the details for this devastating incident. It’s terrible."

"They are so small 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, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – volunteers have been working tirelessly, and they will continue to rake, but we cannot remove every pellet. It is the worst I have ever seen of a polluted beach."

The local MP, who participated in 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 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 remove as many pellets as possible, but it’s a urgent effort. Southern Water must urgently establish if their nearby treatment facilities could be the source of these biobeads, and I’ve requested to dedicate all available resources to supporting the clean-up operation in the interim."

The beads are also dangerous to dogs as they contain a significant amount of PAHs, which are known to have carcinogenic properties, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and bromine.

A spokesperson for the water company said, "We are collaborating with the regulatory body and local council to look into the cause of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. This investigation work is still in progress."

"The district council is leading the clean-up of the beach, using trained personnel with a specialized machinery to extract the pellets. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We have performed environmental testing on the beach, which has shown no impact to environmental water quality. These results has been provided with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for a statement.