David Trimble has called on Sinn Fein to distance itself from Eta, the Basque separatist group thought to be responsible for Thursday's terrorist bombings in Spain.

Speaking on Friday night, the Ulster Unionist leader said the attacks in Madrid were the equivalent of seven Omagh bomb blasts.

"We still do not know who was responsible but we note the Spanish government's reasonable conviction that these attacks were the work of Eta," he told the North Down Ulster Unionist Association.

"It might yet emerge that Eta was working in collaboration with others, notably the Algerian Armed Islamic Group with which they have links.

"Politically and militarily, though, Eta's strongest bonds are with Sinn Fein and the IRA.

"Only the weekend before last, a representative of Batasuna, Eta's banned political front, attended the Sinn Fein ard fheis [party conference] as an honoured guest. As ever, motions were tabled expressing Sinn Fein's support for Eta's so-called struggle and demanding a boycott of Spanish goods."

Trimble went on to accuse Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams of "hypocrisy", as he was flying to Washington to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

"Gerry Adams says he is appalled at the bombings and has said they are wrong but, as ever, he seeks to have it both ways," he added.

"One day Sinn Fein is supporting Eta, the next they are appalled at the effects of terrorism.

"Mr Adams must end this hypocrisy: pretending to be a man of peace at the same time as his organisation is consorting with international terrorists."