Hopes for a deal between Sinn Fein and Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists have subsided.

Gerry Adams said although the IRA has agreed to destroy all its weapons, they are refusing to have the process photographed - a key demand of the unionists.

Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart , Bertie Ahern, are nevertheless flying to Belfast today to rally support for the deal they have put together over the past few months.

The two prime ministers will publish the detailed plans that they put to the parties to show how close they got to securing an agreement.

Government sources in London believe this may only be a temporary setback.

One said: "If you think we are going to give up on this before the election, forget it."

Speaking yesterday Adams told journalists in Belfast that he and Martin McGuiness had met with the IRA but would not give further details.

Referring to the DUP demand that the destruction of republican's arms caches be recorded by photograph, Adams said: "I do not believe the IRA will allow itself to be humiliated."