MID-WORCESTERSHIRE MP Peter Luff is backing a campaign to block measures he feels could lead to the legalisation of a form of euthanasia.

Mr Luff is part of an all-party group of MPs and members of the House of Lords who are backing a national petition organised by Right To Life.

The petition opposes parts of a document from the Lord Chancellor, relating to the health care of the sick and elderly.

It urges the Government to introduce legislation outlawing the withdrawal of food and fluid from patients with the purpose of ending their lives.

Mr Luff said: "At present the Court of Protection may handle financial and similar problems of the mentally incapacitated.

"However, as outlined in previous documents, the Lord Chancellor's Department envisages the powers of the Court of Protection ultimately assuming jurisdiction over health care; from the wording of the current consultation document it could be used to extend medical killing and there is little doubt could become extremely dangerous."

He added: "The Court of Protection could become the Court of Destruction. We will do everything we can to have the document amended and we urge people to support the Right To Life petition."

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that euthanasia by commission is against the European Convention of Human Rights, even when a patient asks for it, as in the well-publicised case of Diane Pretty.

Mr Luff believes that the Lord Chancellor's document, called Making Decisions: Helping People Who have Difficulty Deciding for Themselves and aimed at the sick and elderly, will allow the Court of Protection to rule that food and fluid can be withdrawn from a patient to end their life, even if it goes against their own family's wishes.