Blair fights to save Ulster assembly

The belief that Belfast's power-sharing executive is on the point of collapse became almost universal yesterday despite efforts to shore up its crumbling edifice.

The shockwaves generated by last week's arrests in Belfast and the charging of Sinn Fein's Stormont head of administration with possession of sensitive government documents look too great for the government to survive.

The sense that the devolved government's days are numbered grew when David Trimble, the First Minister and Ulster Unionist leader, told the Belfast Assembly: "I must say that, without dramatic developments, I have great difficulty in seeing how the executive as presently constituted can meet again."

Mr Trimble is to meet Tony Blair in London today in one of a series of meetings aimed at staving off collapse. While Mr Blair will be seeking to create breathing space, the government will be fighting day to day to keep the executive alive.

The Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists, who have two ministers in the government, announced yesterday they were pulling out, presumably to pre-empt a withdrawal of ministers by Mr Trimble.

The senior Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson is in custody charged with possessing information likely to be of use to terrorists, including the car details of the British army's commanding officer in Northern Ireland.

Police yesterday carried out a further raid on a west Belfast house which was one of those searched last week. According to security sources, material recovered in last week's searches included information which did not come from the Northern Ireland Office, where republicans are believed to have inserted a mole. This means security forces will be widening their net for other republican agents.

Northern Ireland's hundreds of prison officers have been warned to take extra security precautions following the discovery that republicans have the names and addresses of almost all of them.

Hugh Orde, the Northern Ireland Chief Constable, meanwhile took the unusual step of publicly apologising for the manner in which his officers raided Sinn Fein offices at Stormont last week. While insisting that the raid had been necessary in policing terms, he implicitly accepted that the style in which it was carried out – involving scores of heavily-armed police – had been over the top. He said: "I've looked at the film, and I think we could have done the raid itself in a more sensitive and appropriate style."

Mr Orde was attacked by Sinn Fein's policing spokesman Gerry Kelly, who dismissed his comments as "weasel words". He added: "It was political theatre. It has rebounded. This cuts no ice – they are operating to a Unionist agenda."

Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein president, said: "An element within the British system, working out that the institutions are likely to come down, are trying to ensure that if and when that happens, it will happen at a time and in a way that republicans get the blame."

Mr Trimble delivered a withering attack on his MP Jeffrey Donaldson who has demanded an immediate withdrawal of ministers. He said: "A period of silence from you would be welcome." Mr Donaldson responded: "I am speaking for a majority of unionists who have deep concerns about these issues and I will continue to do so."

Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative leader, called on the Government to suspend the Stormont Assembly.