David Trimble has survived a vote on his leadership at the Ulster Unionist Party council's annual general meeting.

The UUP chief won 60 per cent of the vote and he said his victory would help to end divisions.

"I look forward to increasingly seeing this party behave as a serious political party in the same way that others do and I look forward, increasingly, to seeing the old problems that plagued this party for the last few years being put behind us," he said.