CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Excited at a cheap bill with a certain order (12)

8 One having many members in work after month (7) 9 British trains losing time in seaside places (7)

11 Two men, both short and small, used as fall guys (7) 12 Top Ten record maybe covered by One Direction, extremely colourless (7) 13 Pines for Eden dug up with spades (5)

14 A peculiar raw sense in knowing what’s going on (9) 16 Examined bug placed by journalist receiving pressure (9) 19 Player that makes more (5) 21 Core group of students to welcome around the French university (7) 23 Energy goes before a nap that’s cut short — most convenient! (7)

24 Left back that is certain to get time off (7) 25 Southern climate — husband’s taken off warm clothing (7) 26 Standing alone in deep end moving a bit, pleasant but I must get out (12)

DOWN

1 It could be the thing (7) 2 Parking up with pastries for little nippers? (7) 3 Creatures great and small grabbing first aid offered by this person? (9) 4 Shove the Spanish child’s dog, half-cut (5) 5 Picture of island men following star once viewed regularly (7) 6 Make of liquid I’ve taken in pain (7) 7 Sisters’ place with a lino designed to be boring? (12) 10 This person entering exams works OK (12) 15 Put delivery label on dead fashionable netting skirt (9)

17 Cult number one upwardlymobile area (7) 18 Carry off pretty trailing flower in Devon (7) 19 Someone dining given seconds by new Chinese, perhaps (7) 20 Part of hospital where tragedies may be played out (7) 22 Rude to axe old boy that’s part of act (5)