Government efforts to boost "politics as normal" in Northern Ireland have come under fire with the revelation that Tony Blair urged leading businessmen to fund the province's centre parties.

According to reports, the prime minister used a corporate fundraising event to call for donations to the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP in a bid to sideline hardline parties from both sides of the sectarian divide.

The move has been attacked by Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist party.

Blair and Gordon Brown are set to visit the Province later this week.