PROTESTERS have vowed to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights if fluoride is added to Bolton's water.

Anti-fluoride campaigners have branded the idea "mass medication".

The Greater Manchester health authority is examining the region's water supply to see if fluoride can be added. If so, there would be a three-month consultation period before any decision was taken.

Dentists in Bolton say they are prepared to fight anti-fluoride protesters through the courts and say fluoridation has cut tooth decay in the Midlands and the North-east where it has been introduced.

Chairman of the Britain Against Fluoride Group in Bolton and Veritas environment spokesman Ian Upton said: "During the consultation period we will do everything we can to make sure our case is taken into account, but if the Strategic Health Authority decide to force the water company to put fluoride into our water we will pursue legal action on the basis it's against human rights to be medicated without consent or proper medical supervision.

"We have a barrister who has offered his services to us for free because he's against fluoride and he will take the case up for us.

"There has been no long-term research into the future health effects of adding fluoride water.

"If someone came up to you and gave you some grey powder, told you to put it in your water and asked you to drink it - would you?"

The group want to see dentists take on more NHS patients and campaign against fizzy drink machines rather than have fluoride introduced into the borough's water.

Mr Upton said: "Many dentists refuse NHS patients. Why can't they promote healthy living rather than campaigning to have chemicals added to our water supply."

But Labour MP for Bolton South East Brian Iddon has thrown his support behind the campaign to have fluoride introduced into the borough's water.

He said: "How is it that Birmingham and the North-east where fluoride has already been introduced have not been taken to court.

"I support the dentists completely and we're only talking about adding a very tiny amount, one part per million.

"Children in Bolton have bad teeth and the other methods have been tried, such as education, but they're clearly not working.

"I want to avoid young children having to go under anaesthetic, which puts their lives at risk."

As many as 250 children under the age of 10 had to go through the trauma of dental surgery in the borough last year because their teeth had become so badly decayed.

Youngsters in Bolton are in the national top 10 per cent for the highest number of fillings, missing teeth and tooth decay - and the borough has double the amount of dental health problems as the national average.