Protesters call for change of mind over fluoridation of water

Professors, politicians, dentists and even oyster fishermen are among those today demanding health chiefs reverse their decision to add fluoride to the water supplies of almost 200,000 Hampshire residents.

A year to the day after NHS bosses voted for fluoridation for parts of Southampton and the surrounding area, campaigners were due to descend on their offices to protest.

Today’s anniversary comes as the Daily Echo can reveal that delays caused by a legal challenge mean the earliest fluoride could be added to water supplies is likely to be spring 2012.

A high court spokesman confirmed yesterday the earliest the judicial review could be heard by a senior judge is “July or August”.

South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA), which has set aside £400,000 for the legal fight, said last February it hoped to have everything in place to deliver fluoridated water by the end of 2010, but with its talks with Southern Water on how to implement the scheme suspended since last June, it looks set to miss that target by more than a year.

A spokesman yesterday said it would be inappropriate to discuss when fluoride could become a reality, because it would involve “speculating” on the timing and outcome of the judicial review.