Plastic pellet pollution along the south-eastern coast has sparked outrage after millions of tiny beads washed up on Kent beaches.
The pellets, which first appeared on Camber Sands in East Sussex earlier this month, have now reached Littlestone, St Mary’s Bay, and other parts of the Kent coastline. Southern Water has admitted it is “highly likely” the beads escaped from its Eastbourne wastewater site and said it was “so sorry” for the incident. Hastings and Rye MP Helena Dollimore said the company had informed her that approximately 312 million pellets were released.
Local residents expressed frustration at the scale of the pollution. Pedro Cayuela, from Littlestone, said: “I won’t be taking my dog for a walk along the shoreline whilst there is a warning about the beads. Southern Water should take greater care of our environment, like water companies do in other countries.” Peter Crome, from Camber, criticised the company’s priorities: “The water company shareholders make huge dividends, but this money should be invested into improving the water quality. I’m worried about what tourists will think.”
Former pop star and clean water campaigner Feargal Sharkey condemned the company’s response, calling the clean-up “a sham” on social media. He said local reports indicated the pollution stretches over ten miles along the coast and could threaten Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, which supports more than 4,200 species of plants and animals.
Southern Water is working with Sussex Wildlife Trust, the Environment Agency, and other partners to prevent further pellets entering sensitive areas such as Rye Harbour and saltmarshes. The company said less than 10 tonnes of beads entered the sea, substantially fewer than initially feared, and teams are walking a 40-mile stretch of coastline from Eastbourne to St Mary’s Bay to recover the pellets. Southern Water added: “Our response to this incident will need to be sustained and long term.”
Local officials have stressed the importance of immediate and effective action. Folkestone and Hythe MP Tony Vaughan said: “Southern Water – you need to get down here and clean up your mess.” Kent County Council cabinet member for the environment, David Wimble, warned: “The biggest problem is the fact that the wildlife is swallowing the beads, dogs are even swallowing them as they go for their morning walks on the beach. It’s what they do next with the clean-up operation that is most important.”
The Environment Agency confirmed it is actively investigating the incident and said it “will not hesitate to take robust enforcement action where appropriate.” Meanwhile, Southern Water continues daily clean-up operations along the affected coastline to remove small amounts of pellets already found on other beaches.
