Hastings MP praises volunteers on anniversary of environmental disaster

On November 10 2025, Southern Water admitted responsibility for millions of tiny plastic beads washing up on the beach at Hastings, Camber Sands and at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

The spillage is thought to be one of the biggest ever plastic pollution incidents on the South Coast of England.

The beads were released from Southern Water’s Eastbourne wastewater treatment plant during Storm Benjamin in October 2025, but the water company only admitted responsibility for the incident two weeks later when Dollimore questioned the Chief Executive on Southern Water’s involvement.

The beads were subsequently discovered in the saltmarsh at the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, one of the largest and most important wildlife sites in England, and home to more than 4,355 species of plants and animals including 300 that are rare or endangered. The MP and the Sussex Wildlife Trust described the discovery of the plastic beads in the reserve as "devastating".

In the days following the initial incident, volunteers from the local community came down to the beach with buckets and sieves to assist the clean up operation in an act the local MP described as "a testament to the community spirit in our area".

The clean up effort continues to this day, but it now paid for by Southern Water, as negotiated by Helena Dollimore MP in the aftermath of the incident.

Dollimore also negotiated a compensation programme for Camber, Rye and the surrounding area, on a series of projects decided on by the local community.

Following sustained pressure from Helena Dollimore MP and the Sussex Wildlife Trust, the Environment Agency upgraded the incident to the most serious Category 1 level in January. The Environment Agency's investigation into the incident is ongoing. The Category 1 classification means that Southern Water could now face the most serious set of sanctions following the investigation. incident. Because of this classification, Southern Water will now be banned from paying out bonuses to their bosses or dividends to their shareholders.

In the wake of this incident Helena Dollimore MP also joined forces with the Sussex Wildlife Trust to launch a campaign calling on the water companies to 'Bin the Beads' and abandon this outdated technology to treat wastewater. Dollimore's petition garnered over 10,000 signatures. The MP presented it to Parliament and to No 10 Downing Street.

The MP said: “This marks one year since Southern Water admitted responsibility as the source of millions of plastic beads that washed up at Camber Sands and Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

"It should never have taken detective work by our community to uncover what could be the biggest plastic pollution event ever on the South Coast of England.

"Southern Water only came clean about this spill of millions of plastic beads from their Eastbourne plant when I pushed them for answers with the help of local plastic experts. In the wake of this incident I made Southern Water promise to clean up its own mess and make amends to our community and our wildlife.

"I have been holding them to that promise and a package of compensation for local projects is underway. This does not take away from the Environment Agency's ongoing criminal investigation, and it is right that Southern Water face the full force of the law for this disaster."