FRESH warnings have been raised about proposals by Hampshire health bosses to add fluoride to tap water to tackle bad teeth.

Work is being done to look at the feasibility of adding the chemical to the water supply in greater Southampton to reduce dental decay, which health officials say is getting worse.

The Green Party has backed a statement signed by more than 600 professionals from around the world, including 33 from the UK, condemning the practice and warning of serious effects on the human body.

Spokesman John Spottiswoode said: "The Green Party is working jointly with the National Pure Water Association and Hampshire Against Fluoridation to try to stop the madness of fluoridation of water here.

"We must avoid going down the fluoridation route for the sake of our future health. Everyone needs to tell our strategic health authority to study the facts fully and to come out against fluoridating our water supplies."

Board members of the Southampton City Primary Care Trust (PCT) agreed in March 2005 to support fluoridation and asked the health authority to investigate if it could be done to address the problems of poor dental health in the city.

Consultation A spokesman for the South Central Strategic Health Authority said that it was in the "very early stages" of its work.

He added: "Over the coming months the authority will decide whether to proceed to a full and open public consultation on this issue. No decisions will be made before a public consultation. Any public consultation would be widely advertised in the press to ensure the views of all interested parties are taken in account."

Fluoridation of drinking water supplies began in the early 1960s.

It followed trials which showed an improvement in the condition of the teeth of young children.

By law, water companies have to fluoridate drinking water supplies if asked to do so by a strategic health authority.

The Department for Environ-ment Food and Rural Affairs says that at present, about ten per cent of the UK's population drinks fluoridated water.

Southampton City PCT director of public health Andrew Mortimore said that child dental health in Southampton was particularly poor and getting worse, with more than a third of five-year-olds having decayed, missing or filled teeth.

He said: "There is plenty of evidence that proves fluoridation can reduce dental decay."