LEADING members of a council have been warned they would become “partners in an illegal act” should fluoridation of the water supply be approved.

Anti-fluoridation campaigner Michael Watson called on Darlington Borough Council to abandon its support of a technical appraisal of the drinking water system across Tees Valley to assess the feasibility of introducing fluoride.

Speaking at a meeting of the full authority, Mr Watson said: “I wish to warn council of the additional legal and financial implications that should impinge on you should you have the temerity to impose water fluoridation on the residents of this borough.

“Will you now cease and desist in this futile and dangerous enterprise and scrap the technical appraisal?”

The authority’s leader, Councillor Stephen Harker said the council had a duty to consider measures to improve public health outcomes. He said: “There is a broad of evidence from the UK and internationally collected over a number of years that shows the addition of fluoride in water is an effective public health measure.”

He added if fluoridation was proposed, regulations would require the authority to undertake a full public consultation.