COUNCILS throughout the North-west will converge on Bolton next week to draw up new battle plans against compulsory fluoridation of water.

More than 30 years after Bolton said a resounding "NO" to moves to add fluoride to tapwater, the Government has resurrected the idea.

And it is being backed by health and dental experts nationwide who believe it is by far the most effective way of reducing dental decay in the whole population - particularly among children.

Opponents argue that even if water-borne fluoride does everything that is claimed, adding it to drinking water would be forced mass medication that has not been proved to be safe in the long term. And they say there are effective ways of administering fluoride to anyone who wants it.

On Wednesday, North West Councils Against Fluoridation will elect a new chairman to lead the group into a new campaign.

At the meeting will be councillors and officials from most of the local authorities in the region. Missing will be those from West Cumbria and Crewe - the only two areas that have artificially added fluoride in their water because they voted for it.

The group's fears were roused by the government Green Paper 'Our Healthier Nation' which supports fluoridation.

Bolton has been chosen to host the meeting because it was the only town in Britain to hold a referendum on fluoridation in 1968. The poll showed 73pc of people against, in a turn-out of 82pc.

A 1992 telephone poll, conducted by the Bolton Evening News because of the widespread concerns of readers, showed 95pc of callers were against.

Liz Vaughan, Information Officer for the anti-fluoridation group, said: "We formed in 1988 to stop a move to allow water companies to fluoridate water supplies on request. The campaign was successful and, in 1992, North West Water as it was then, bowed to the enormous pressure of North West councils."

The group's new fight is aimed at supporting the National Pure Water Association's call for a full and independent Public Inquiry into water fluoridation.

Members are now awaiting a Government White Paper, which was due to be published last month but was delayed because of the controversy.

Representatives of councils in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Liverpool, Merseyside and Greater Manchester will attend the meeting in Bolton Town Hall. They will put together a strategy and report on a recent meeting at which the concerns of thousands of people in the North-west were put to Health Minister Tessa Jowell.

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