The loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force has suspended all contacts with the arms decommissioning body headed by General John de Chastelain.

The decision was announced by the political party aligned with the UVF, the Progressive Unionist Party, in Belfast on Friday.

Party leader David Ervine said the continuing targeting of unionists by the IRA was causing disquiet within loyalism.

The whole of unionism, right across the board, is saying enough is enough David Ervine PUP leader

He said there would be further evidence of the extent of the IRA's targeting in the coming days.

Mr Ervine also said that until there was a "clear appreciation from the republican movement of their honourable intent towards the unionist people, the PUP would be breaking off all contact with Sinn Fein".

The PUP assembly member said the UVF's decision was "confirmation of the degree of dismay within the unionist community".

"The whole of unionism, right across the board, is saying enough is enough."

Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly denied republicans were responsible for the UVF decision. He described it as a retrograde step that would worry Catholics in interface areas like north Belfast.

Following Mr Ervine's comments, a Downing Street spokesman insisted that the process was not one-sided and that the principle of consent remained at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement.

Tony Blair is due to meet the Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern for talks in London next week.

The PUP announcements come after a statement from the leadership of the UVF and associated loyalist paramilitary group, the Red Hand Commando, blaming the IRA for what it called "the current dearth of confidence in the process".

The UVF statement accused the IRA of "the wholesale targeting of the pro-union population" - a reference to alleged intelligence gathering in recent months.

A UVF source said: "We feel that loyalists have been airbrushed out of the process by the two governments and republicans - in other words we don't matter."

'Disenchantment'

Northern Ireland's Chief Constable, Hugh Orde, described the UVF's statement as a "worrying development".

But Mr Orde said he had no specific intelligence to suggest the UVF ceasefire was under threat.

"Any organisation that is currently on ceasefire, and the UVF have been on ceasefire and they have behaved as well as any other organisation on ceasefire, to talk of walking away from it causes me concern," he said.

Sammy Wilson of the Democratic Unionist Party said the move was evidence of Protestant disenchantment with the way the process has been going.

"The disillusionment is a result of the reality that this has been a one way process to appease republican violence," he said.

I think the disillusionment is a result of the reality that this has been a one way process to appease republican violence Sammy Wilson DUP MLA

Ulster Unionist assembly member Michael McGimpsey said the UVF was being sidelined.

He said the government needed to talk to them urgently.

Friday's developments came a week after the PUP withdrew from talks aimed at restoring devolution to the province.

David Ervine said the governments were excluding him from the real negotiations.

Following the collapse of power-sharing at Stormont, current legislation dictates that the British and Irish Governments must review the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement on which devolution was based.

Both the governments have stressed that there will be no re-negotiation of the Agreement.