I WRITE in respect of the calls for a local referendum to be held on fluoridation of Bolton's water supply.

I oppose any such referendum as being meaningless and, in my opinion, not a valid democratic process.

We, at least those of us who bother to vote, go to the polls to elect a government, local or national, to make decisions on our behalf, aided by access to informed and expert opinion.

This democratic process may not always be perfect, but on the whole it serves us well.

We may not always agree with these decisions, but we should accept them and indeed have to when they carry the force of law.

If we, as individuals or collectively, disagree with any particular decision, we should approach our councillor or Member of Parliament and put forward our reasons for disagreeing in the hope at least of informing, and possibly changing, their future actions.

It is unreasonable in such circumstances to call for a referendum, particularly when the result thereof will not be binding on the organisation making the ultimate decision. Such a referendum is, in reality, no more than yet another opinion poll and effectively without value.

Cllr Cliff Morris, in opposing a referendum, gave cost to the public and scaremongering as two of his reasons, and I agree with him especially in respect to the latter.

We have seen individual fear of fluoridation expressed in Letters, and when reading "The Case Against", put by Mr Ian Upton of the Bolton Against Fluoride Group, we have an example of these fears being fanned.

He gives no substantiated evidence for opposition, but relies on inference and innuendo; I believe this could be described as scaremongering, and I am concerned that, if a referendum is held, this could escalate, to the detriment of informed debate, in an attempt to secure a "no" vote.

In these circumstances, I am thankful that the result would not be binding, for then we would, I believe, have abandoned democracy for government by the masses or mob rule.

I would much prefer to take my chances with the democracy that we have and call on all like-minded democrats to fight against this campaign. A referendum might be popular, but is not democratic.

Michael S Marsh Green Lane Bolton