A distraught woman who is defying an eviction order and refusing to leave her Cork City apartment has pleaded with city officials to save her from a life on the streets.

A lone protester forced the abandonment, last night, of the second meeting of Cork City Council in a row.

Voters are turning away from the main political parties, with Independent candidates more popular than ever, according to two weekend opinion polls which also point to disaster for Labour in the forthcoming elections.