The DUP has accused the Ulster Unionists of operating a "dirty tricks campaign" following newspaper reports that the Rev Ian Paisley intended to run for election in Mr David Trimble's Westminster constituency.
Both the Observer and the Sunday World quoted "senior DUP sources" as saying Dr Paisley intended to "parachute" his son Mr Ian Paisley jnr into his secure North Antrim seat while he ran against Mr Trimble in Upper Bann.
This contest would have been reminiscent of the 1970 by-election when Dr Paisley took the Bannside seat previously held by the reforming Ulster Unionist Capt Terence O'Neill.
Mr Paisley jnr yesterday rejected the story, saying the party already had selected its candidate, Mr David Simpson, for the constituency. Both Mr Simpson and Dr Paisley had been selected over a year ago, Mr Paisley said. The campaign literature for both constituencies had been prepared, he insisted.
As for the suggestion that he might run in North Antrim, Mr Paisley offered a "100 per cent guarantee" that this was not the case.
Speaking to both the Sunday World and the Observer, Mr Trimble said his party had expected a high-profile candidate to run against him ever since Mr Simpson, a comparative unknown, had been nominated. "The question is, does he (Dr Paisley) have the bottle for it?" Mr Trimble asked.
Mr Paisley claimed no one "in the higher echelon or the lower echelon of the DUP" could have believed the story and claimed it originated with the Ulster Unionists.
The UUP had spread the story, he said, because it was afraid of the electoral damage Mr Simpson could inflict on Mr Trimble and because it could claim he was "running away" from the challenge.
A UUP spokesman robustly denied claims it had initiated the story. "We were contacted by journalists on Friday and yesterday (Saturday), who said they had spoken to senior DUP sources," he said.