The Policing Board member said yesterday the controversial tactic should be used to counter the rising threat from splinter groups such as the Real IRA.

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Mr Paisley's remarks come days after dissident republicans used Semtex for the first time in an attack on police in Fermanagh.

The North Antrim MLA said: "Sooner or later there will be a murder of a police officer unless the police are able to deploy ruthlessness in tracking down and wiping out these dissident members.

"I believe the community will accept such measures and, if dissidents are shot on sight, the community will accept that it is a necessary use of lethal force to prevent dissident republicanism from growing."

He added that he wanted the Stormont Executive to hold a review of the security situation "with a view to ensuring every encouragement is given to the police and Army in the eradication of dissident republicans".

The call for lethal force has sparked outrage among both unionists and nationalists.

Ulster Unionist Policing Board member Basil McCrea branded the comments "inflammatory" and said he would oppose any shoot-to-kill policy.

The Lagan Valley MLA highlighted the case of Brazilian man Jean Charles de Menezes - the 25-year-old shot dead in 2005 at London's Stockwell Tube station by counter-terrorist police who mistook him for suicide bomber Hussain Osman.

He added: "Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by police operating a shoot-to-kill policy, and the case is an obvious illustration that mistakes will be made if it is implemented.

"The only way forward for policing is to encourage people of all communities to cooperate with police and tell them what they know.

"Ian Paisley Jnr's inflammatory remarks are unlikely to help with any strategic direction."

And SDLP Policing Board member Dolores Kelly branded Mr Paisley Jnr's support for shoot-to-kill as "dangerous nonsense".

She added: "Some people shoot from the hip, others from the mouth.