CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Like fighting citizens – primarily a new volunteer force being introduced (12) 9 They slide downhill to marshy area with problem turning over (9) 10 Bright vehicle carrying the Parisian (5) 11 Country girl entertained by a queen maybe (6) 12 With crowd outside, is quiet show to be impossible? (8) 13 Part of bank’s business, not the first or last act (6) 15 Writer providing a series of reminiscences, say, is thoughtful (8) 18 Stolen goods brought back and got rid of in garden building (4,4) 19 Anxiety of female lover, maiden one discarded (6) 21 Piece of music with unusual tempo entertaining one (4,4) 23 Fulmar originally left by top of cliff to get ready to fly (6) 26 Consider love and feel longing (5) 27 Treading quietly, Heather is behind vehicle (9) 28 A fresh peril’s nasty for folk farming the seas (5-7)

DOWN 1 Like drinking water poured out initially on flat surface (7) 2 Revolting type to lurch outside entrance to bar (5) 3 Mum stares, absorbing fashionable publications (9) 4 Metal attachment to dog? (4) 5 Match with restrictions introduced becomes most bad-tempered (8) 6 Repeat run’s beginning with speed going up (5) 7 Son I deem to be wayward put into ‘evil’ category (8) 8 Old city chap, desperate (6) 14 Proverbially lifeless type attached to a swinger (8) 16 Beastly bounders escape to match in ’ampshire (9) 17 Firearm agent, one sitting at table? (8) 18 Result of needle that hospital brought out excessively (6) 20 From what we hear, gets rid of 9 (7) 22 Newspaper article, ‘the absence of war’ being reported (5) 24 Road submerged by flooded river (5) 25 Hard little fellow, one of two getting together for a pint? (4)

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved