PLANS to add fluoride to Rossendale's water supply have been met with fierce criticism from residents and health experts.

Government proposals to 'mass medicate' the Valley's water supply with fluoride came under attack at a public meeting in Rawtenstall this week.

Many of the residents who packed into the town's Astoria hotel raised objections, and claimed the move would be against their human rights.

However, they also heard from a senior doctor at Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust, who said that 75 per cent of people throughout the country are in favour of fluoridation.

The Water Bill, currently being considered by Parliament, gives strategic health authorities the power to tell water companies to put fluoride in water in a move to improve dental health.

Protesting residents were backed by Dr Peter Lucas, lecturer in Bioethics at the University of Central Lancashire, who spoke out about ethical issues; and Jane Jones, Campaign Director of the National Pure Water Association.

Ms Jones said: "Six million people are drinking water with added artificial fluoride in this country because the government thought it was the way forward. It's very difficult for a government that's pumped tax payers money into the scheme to suddenly turn round and admit it could be wrong. There have been 21 studies on bone fractures, 11 say there are connections between fluoride and bone fractures and 10 say there are not in areas with fluoride.

"The evidence isn't there to show that it's safe.

"The cause of poor dental health is clearly poor nutrition, or poor oral hygiene.

"Tooth decay isn't infectious. People choose to spend money on junk food, sweets and fizzy pops. If we wish not to be medicated, or treated, then we have a right to say 'no'."

Dr Ellis Friedman, of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT, spoke in favour of the move after he claimed that people living in the area had one of the worst dental health records in the country.

He said in parts of the country where fluoride has been added -- such as Birmingham -- it has dramatically improved dental health.

He said: "Rossendale is typical of the whole area in that we are two-and-a-half times above the national average when it comes to the number of decayed, missing, or filled teeth.

"A recent review of national dental health looked at the effectiveness of fluoridation.

"It showed that it reduced tooth decay, it has a beneficial effect because people take water day by day and it's more effective than fluoride tablets.

"Fluoridation is not the only single thing that's important about dental health. It's about educating people to eat a healthy balanced diet, not to eat sweets or drink fizzy drinks, and to brush their teeth.

"The negative effects are small indeed, the only affect could be fluorosis, which is an overdose of fluoride, but this only happens in a minority of cases. There is no evidence at all to prove rumours that fractures and cancers are triggered by fluoride."

Conservative Councillor Peter Steen said: "In Europe, most countries have stopped the fluoridation. France and Italy have never accepted it. It's illegal in Holland and has been abandoned in Belgium, Finland, Germany and Sweden. We should look at this very carefully."

Rossendale Borough Council overview and scrutiny committee will arrive at a formal position tonight and present it to Lancashire County Council.