CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Smouldering leaves catching fire (5) 4 Attire dishevelled by supporter upset referee (9) 9 Behaviour of French, more disagreeable reportedly (9) 10 Aquatic creature’s fiercer blowing top (5) 11 Rubbish bin’s first put in car port (7) 12 Sun possibly turning a bit old (7) 13 Tech company techie’s opening small program (6) 15 Craves food after detailed written description (8) 18 Tit’s head emerged from egg covered in straw (8) 20 Fine performer creating part (6) 23 Settled with a devil, almost devilish (7) 24 Old politician kept in loop? That’s sporting (7) 26 Slow fabulous ship on west side of lake (5) 27 Simple men tend to purchase gadget (9) 28 Finish United’s competition gaining new stamina (9) 29 Smooth character in empty suavity (5)

DOWN

1 Bitter gin and ‘It’ drunk around mid-morning (9) 2 One plays start of Metal Gear excitedly (5) 3 Sweetheart scoffed about chap getting discharge (7) 4 Brilliant time embracing very ordinary bird (6) 5 Singer’s block on single about sex (8) 6 Plunder lifted, apart from display of icons (7) 7 One beginning to ascend to Saturn, perhaps (9) 8 Socialist supporting Queen is messed up (5) 14 Rendered insensible with drink (9) 16 Active agent accepts true? blue line (9) 17 Backlash created by an erotic novel (8) 19 Profile criminal preceding visit (7) 21 Ace compiler’s not so rambling (7) 22 End of leg split on exercise producing infection (6) 23 Work out seeing overly large veins engorged initially (5) 25 Pine to follow one’s dream (5)