I want to start this column by thanking everyone who has been working so hard over the last few weeks to help clean the beach at Camber following the recent devasting pollution incident.
As many readers will know, millions of plastic pellets, or biobeads, washed ashore at Camber in early November, polluting the beach and posing a threat to local wildlife and the area’s fragile sand dune ecosystem.
Since the discovery of the biobeads our coastal team, council officers and volunteers have been working seven days a week to coordinate the clean-up operation, and I extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of them.
Southern Water have said they believe the beads are highly likely to have originated from their water treatment plant at Eastbourne, following the failure of a screening filter which led to the beads being released into the sea.
Following the discovery of the biobeads at Camber Sands, there have also been reports over the last week or so of beads being found on other beaches.
For beach and tidal safety reasons volunteers or members of public have not been asked to clean any beaches other than Camber, but if anyone happens to notice biobeads elsewhere during your normal activities, please report them to the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60, quoting reference: 2440833.
We have been assisted in the clean-up operation at Camber by the specialist not for profit organisation Nurdle, who have been helping remove the pellets from the sand using their specially designed equipment.
Despite the best efforts of everyone involved in the clean-up, it has sadly proved impossible to remove all the biobeads originally deposited on the beach from the sand.
Unfortunately, we also expect further large amounts to be washed ashore at Camber and elsewhere in the coming weeks and months, particularly following the regular Spring tides.
Nurdle’s expert advice is that the cleaning operation with their specialist equipment is most effective following these high tides, which occur twice a month, and so clean-up work will continue after each Spring tide over the coming months.
In the meantime, the clean-up operation has continued at Camber with council officers, aided by Strandliners, other local volunteers and partner organisations including Southern Water employees, continuing to remove the biobeads from the beach using manual methods.
Following a mild autumn, it seems winter has arrived and the cold weather has been a bit of a shock.
We’re aware that many people across our district will struggle to afford to heat their homes as temperatures drop.
The Warm Home Check Service, run by East Sussex County Council and Citizens Advice, is a free service that offers telephone advice as well as money-saving information and tips on how to stay warm for less. Eligible households can also receive a Warm Home Check visit.
More information is available online at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/keepwarm or by calling 0800 464 7307.
And please, as temperatures fall and the nights draw in, do check on older relatives and neighbours if you can to make sure they are warm and safe.
Published: 28th November 2025
