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Southern Water is conducting an inquiry after millions of contaminated plastic beads appeared on Camber Sands beach, sparking worries of a possible "ecological disaster".

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

A local official suspects the beads may have been spilled from a nearby water treatment centre and has written to the top official, demanding an account.

This coastal area, situated in East Sussex, is one of England’s most beloved beaches, known for unique sandy ecosystems and expansive areas of golden sand.

Local helpers have been racing against time to remove the beads, filling multiple sacks with the synthetic debris, but the scale of the pollution spill is immense, and it is unlikely they will be able to remove all of them.

An expert from a environmental organization commented over the weekend, "This is the worst pollution event I have ever seen. 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."

"Once they’ve eaten it, there's no turning back: they cannot expel it. They will remain buoyant. It will form a layer which attracts plunging seabirds."

He added that the removal work have been exhausting. "Yesterday, I was on site cleaning it up. We are trying to really piece together the timeline and the details for this horrendous event. It’s awful."

"The pellets are minuscule that from a a distance, the beach appears unaffected. But as soon as you get close up, you see there are countless dark beads, hidden among marine plants. It’s an impossible task – 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 worst I have ever seen of a contaminated shoreline."

The local MP, who joined the removal work, remarked, "The immense quantity of polymer pellets that have appeared on this shore risks an ecological disaster. These biobeads are deadly 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 race against time. Southern Water must quickly determine if their nearby treatment facilities could be the origin of these biobeads, and I’ve asked them to commit every possible asset to aiding the removal efforts in the meantime."

These pellets are also dangerous to canines as they hold a high number of PAHs, which are known to have cancer-causing traits, and they often contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, antimony, and chemical elements.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said, "We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local council to look into the source of plastic beads which have washed up on the shoreline. The inquiry is ongoing."

"Local officials is leading the clean-up of the shore, using specialists with a vehicle with suction equipment to extract the beads. We are also supporting with the clean-up."

"We’ve conducted environmental testing on the beach, which has revealed no effect to the aquatic environment. These results has been shared with the local authorities and the regulatory body."

Regulatory officials has been contacted for comment.