Stephen Grimason: "A vitriolic attack on David Trimble and the Prime Minister"

Dr Paisley made the allegation against Mr Blair in his address to the annual conference of the Democratic Unionist Party in Omagh.

The DUP leader accused the prime minister of reneging on his promises over the decommissioning of weapons in Northern Ireland.

But a spokesman for Mr Blair dismissed the claim as "nonsense".

"Everybody knows that decommissioning weapons is an integral part of the Good Friday Agreement," he said.

The IRA, and its loyalist counterparts, have yet to hand over arms, prompting fears that the peace deal in the province could founder.

Ian Paisley: "So much for Blair's promises"

Dr Paisley focused on Mr Blair's historic address to the combined houses of the Irish Parliament in Dublin - and the prime minister's comment that he would ask no-one to surrender.

"Having surrendered the Union, Mr Blair did not need to ask unionists to surrender, they have already been sold," said Dr Paisley.

"Mr Blair's words were for the IRA - keep your guns, I will not ask you to decommission.

"That was his coded message. So much for Blair's promises before the referendum. Lies, lies and more lies."

'Destruction' of Union

Mr Blair could not be trusted with the Union, Dr Paisley said.

"He is the greatest aider and abetter of its destruction that Dublin and the IRA have ever had.

"The real Tony Blair stood up in Dublin on Thursday. His green fig-leaf of nationalism did not conceal his guilt from unionist eyes."

Referring to the early release from prison of two IRA men convicted of murder, he said: "Not one bullet has been handed over since the Good Friday Agreement, yet while Tony Blair is cheered in Dublin these filthy murderers go free, laughing as they quit the jail.

"Yet he declares it is all done in the name of peace and admits that without such releases there would be no agreement. Yet none dare call it treason."

Trimble 'compliance'

Mr Blair could not have got so far without David Trimble's compliance, he said.

"Time and time again David Trimble has reneged on his promises and capitulated to the sell-out of our province."

The battle to claw back what Mr Trimble had sold to the enemy would be "fierce and long" but it was owed to future generations.

"The basic principles of democracy have been shredded by the agreement," Dr Paisley said.

"These must be brought back, for only by pure democracy can the darkness of the reign of terror by the gunmen come to an end."

The conference, attended by some 400 delegates, is being held in Omagh, where 29 people were killed by a bomb in August.

The DUP said it had checked with local people before holding the conference in the town to ensure it would not be in bad taste so soon after the murders.

The party debated several resolutions, including a call for the prisoner release scheme to be ended and all those let out to be returned to jail.

There was also support for Portadown Orangemen in their fight to parade down the nationalist Garvaghy Road and a call for the scrapping of the Parades Commission, which blocked the July march.

DUP facts

• The DUP is the third largest party in Northern Ireland with 20 members in the province's new assembly.

• It draws support from hardline loyalists and Protestants, many of whom see the Good Friday Agreement as a sell-out.

• After walking out on the Stormont talks in 1997, the DUP campaigned strongly against the peace agreement and for a No vote in the referendum.

• According to DUP figures, the party has a support base in excess of 5,000.