David Trimble has been warned that turning his back on the Stormont executive would amount to a victory for paramilitary groups and could lead to a fresh wave of killings.

Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, Mark Durkan, said Trimble's decision to set a deadline for a walkout from the executive had effectively given the "whip hand" to those intent on violence.

Speaking after the first in a series of meetings to discuss the current impasse, Durkan said Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party would not succeed in their stated aim of bringing about an end to paramilitarism."I don't see how, if we were to pursue the path people went on Saturday, that would bring about an end to paramilitarism. It would bring about an end to the democratic process that we have here and to the other aspects of the Agreement," he said.

"I am not sure that it is wise for democrats where they address the paramilitaries on the basis of either you go or the democratic institutions go.

"In that situation, the paramilitaries would be quite happy to say 'bye, bye democratic institutions'. I don't think we should be giving them that whip hand over democracy."

Durkan pointed to the positive benefits of devolved government and warned: "All of those possibilities will be put at risk and will be jeopardised if this position which the Ulster Unionist Party has adopted is maintained or if the government decides we all have to go on a cross country run to entertain this position."

Meanwhile Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein president, said that Trimble's ultimatum could lead to a fresh wave of paramilitary violence in Northern Ireland.

He warned that the walkout threat could provoke sectarian killings.

"Those soberly suited people in the UUP are encouraging sectarian killings," said Adams.

He urged Tony Blair against "following the Unionist agenda" and warned the government that it should not be contemplating suspension of the institutions.

"Unionism will at some point in the future be up to the task of managing [the peace process] but we can't wait for them," he said.

"I met David Trimble 10 days ago. David Trimble told me there wouldn't be any problem at the conference on Saturday, the problem would come at the elections."