Trimble and hardliners deadlocked

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and his party critics remained bitterly divided tonight as efforts to find common ground over power sharing with Sinn Fein failed.

As Mr Trimble prepared for a potentially explosive meeting of the UUP’s 860-member ruling council tomorrow, there were signals that hardliners would try to force him to agree to imposing sanctions on Sinn Fein amid concern about ongoing IRA activity.