The debate on whether the Isle of Man's water supply should should be fluoridated has moved to new ground, after a series of claims by campaigners against fluoridation.

On a visit to the Island last week international environmental consultant Doug Cross urged the Manx public to resist water fluoridation on medical, legal and moral grounds.

Mr Cross claimed the Manx authorities were under political pressure from the United Kingdom, as the Island's enclosed population would be an ideal test-bed and provide statistics to justify the fluoridation of large conurbations such as Manchester.

On yesterday's Sunday Opinion he warned that laws needed to allow fluoridation would be dangerous.

But his claims were refuted by Public Health Consultant Dr Paul Emerson.

He said the push for fluoridation was on health grounds alone, and insisted the aim was to assist, not control, the population (audio file attached: Doug Cross, followed by Dr Paul Emerson):