CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Vessel in the morning crashing into bridge (6) 4 Something cutting — it is evident in racism sadly (8) 9 Cross province heading west, protected from the elements somehow? (6) 10 Wicked type perched and troubled saint (8) 11 I am maiden protected by being in fruit tree (9) 13 Live satisfactorily by edge of wood (5) 14 Advocates of one-party state overthrown in a riot at last (13) 17 Odd impostor tends to be following a sort of artistic style (4-9) 21 Little living things Georgia found in beer (5) 23 Old contrary female meets copper beside street as usual (9) 24 French art, exceptionally erotic and mysterious (8) 25 Firm admits an offence — risks may be taken with money here (6) 26 Dealing with consumption, try not finishing initially (8) 27 Stopped being cold, and slowed down (6)

DOWN

1 Dangerously smooth Bond type full of impudent talk (6) 2 Controls costs, following method (9) 3 Lover is a wet, admitting fear ultimately (7) 5 Sellers of goods given dull jobs outside ace institution (5,6) 6 Person making repair grabs a thread (7) 7 Food providing energy after journey (5) 8 Girl reading having leg pulled? That’s cruel (8) 12 Presumably not the way a woman speaks a curse (11) 15 Bill joins union stars — they may examine business statistics (9) 16 The old man going one way and another — torn apart, that’s obvious (8) 18 Most likely to inherit everything? (7) 19 I had to catch the sun, put on a desert island? (7) 20 The answer your setter has chosen? Gosh! (2,4) 22 Good number in front of this person in small statue (5)