MORE than 85 per cent of people are against adding fluoride to the county's water supply, according to a new report by Lancashire County Council's Water Fluoridation Task Group found the majority of people in the region were opposed to the plans.

The group was set up after the government changed legislation surrounding the issue. Now Strategic Health Authorities can, if they wish, force water companies to add fluoride to supplies.

Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority said it had no plans to add fluoride to water but was looking into the issue.

The aim of the task group was to determine whether adding fluoride to Lancashire's water supply would be an effective way of reducing dental decay in children. The group also weighed up risks associated with fluoridation and outlined legal and ethical issues.

Task group members questioned people in Burnley and Preston town centres and a questionnaire was also drawn up which was available on request and over the internet. More than 1,000 people filled in the questionnaire and most said they believed parents had the biggest impact on children's dental health and more information about preventing decay should be given to families.

According to the report the average number of decayed, missing or filled teeth among five year olds in the North West is 2.58. The government's target at age five is for an average of one.

Opposition to fluoridation was strongest in Rossendale where 100 per cent of respondents said they did not want fluoride added to water. But in Burnley almost 20 per cent of people said it should be added to Lancashire's water.

A spokesman for the group said: "The responses clearly show they believe there are better ways to improve children's dental health; reducing sugar intake, change in diet and change of habits."

But Burnley MP Peter Pike said he was in favour of fluoridation, adding: "It would be good for dental health, which is very poor in my area and other parts of Lancashire. The level of opposition surprises me, but I feel the benefits outweigh the disadvantages."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said he did not believe fluoridation was the best way to improve dental health in Lancashire and added: "I am not sure it should be the function of the state to force people to take something en masse. Education about dental health would be better."

The task group's findings will be presented to Lancashire and Cumbria Strategic Health Authority if Lancashire County Council is consulted in the future.