A SECOND health trust in East Lancashire has added its voice to the lobby pushing for fluoridation of the region's water supply.

Members of Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust which supplies GPs and local health services, voted in favour of the move as the best way of improving children's teeth in the area.

Board members did promise to keep an open mind on any new research which may be published but decided on evidence available to date to push for fluoridation.

Liz Vaughan from North West Councils Against Fluoridation criticised the move and said: "I'm horrified the PCT can even contemplate supporting this. In doing so they are going against the wishes of the people and community health councils in the area."

Fluoridation of water supplies has already been backed by Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT in October while the other East Lancashire PCT, Blackburn with Darwen, will debate the issue early next year.

The latest set of statistics on tooth decay in England showed East Lancashire was 94th out of 99 health authority areas, with poor diet and low income believed to be among the major causes. The decision whether to fluoridate on health grounds rests with Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority which is made up of 13 PCTs.

It is waiting for Government guidelines based on further research commissioned by the Medical Research Council.

If the research still supports fluoridation, the Department of Health will allow the strategic authority power to decide but there would still need to be negotiations with water suppliers United Utilities.

Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT chairman Martin Hill said: "By doing this we are instructing our officers to go out an actively promote the idea of fluoridation. However, we would welcome further research on its effectiveness and safety."

The decision was taken at a meeting attended by around 30 members of the public, which heard rival presentations from pro-fluoridation campaigner and dental health consultant Dr Gary Whittle and the National Pure Water Association's Jane Jones.

Dr Whittle said: "Dental health in this area is poor and we need to take action. Fluoridation of the water supply is the best way of improving dental health and completely safe."

But Mrs Jones said research into the subject had totally failed to give evidence it was either safe or effective and it was immoral anyway. She said: "Mass treatment on a population wide scale without people's consent sets a dangerous precedent and violates one's body integrity."