George McConnell (pictured), a party branch chairman for more than 20 years, said he would not even vote for the DUP in the March 7 election.

And a second veteran member, councillor Jack McKee, also said he would not back his former party at the polls.

The Larne man who resigned from the party following the St Andrews Agreement, said: "I don't just feel like not voting - I will not be voting."

Their attack amid other signs of unrest will increase tensions in the party gearing up to launch its Assembly election campaign next week.

Mr McConnell (68) said: "I am one of the people who helped put the party where it is, but now we have just been cast aside, no longer needed."

The Kilkeel man attended the inaugural meeting of the DUP with leader Ian Paisley and then-Shankill MP Desmond Boal in September, 1971 and had also been active in its predecessor, the Protestant Unionist Party.

And he stressed: "This is nothing personal with Dr Paisley.

"I have known him for 40 years.

"Ulster owes him a lot. I feel I owe him a lot."

But Mr McConnell also said he had told DUP MLA Jim Wells he would not even be voting for him in this election.

"I think the world of Jim," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"But I have resigned on principle and I could not vote for the party.

"The fact is we are coming out with stuff that is totally alien to what we have said all along.

"We are now saying that under certain circumstances we could go into power-sharing with Sinn Fein in the government of Northern Ireland. I just could not go down that road."

Also a former publicity officer in the party, Mr McConnell said he did not believe the sincerity of Sinn Fein moves towards support for policing - and feared that drugs, fuel smuggling and other crime would continue "with impunity".

He said: "We are told they (Sinn Fein) are signing up for policing and justice, but the Police Service of Northern Ireland has already been tailor-made for them."

"The RUC, the UDR and the 'B'-Specials, which had great success in fighting terrorists, but they were done away with, at the behest of the IRA," he added.

Mr McConnell said he felt the current crisis was similar to the political situation when the party was formed. "The talk then was of rescuing as much as possible from a united Ireland situation. We seem to have gone back to that," he added.

Asked about his personal feelings, Mr McConnell went on: "It's an absolute disaster. I don't understand what has changed. I think of nothing else: it is just so grieving."

A senior party source said last night the resignation of Mr McConnell was to be regretted.

As Mr Paisley repeated it was up to Sinn Fein to deliver, it was also confirmed six councillors are refusing to campaign for him in his heartland constituency of North Antrim.

The DUP leader said: "There has been no real effort made by IRA/Sinn Fein to really forswear their violence. I am glad that the steps they have taken, they have taken them, but that is only the beginning."