CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Shortages damage large towns (10) 6 Stone circle parking area east of Argyll (4) 10 Flower girl finally out of bed and home (5) 11 Is Columbus in a state with no black R&B? (4,5) 12 Lead actor set to return for new business venture (5-2) 13 Left to cover start of cricket, energised (7) 14 Physical outcome for which runners perhaps pay? (8,4) 18 The tar developed during cooking is overwhelming (12) 21 Almost suggest poem and go off (7) 23 Tangoes wildly in front of the audience (2-5) 24 Protector ultimately failing a new supporter’s pledge (9) 25 Bury’s at home — they’re missing regulars (5) 26 Discard from East, covered by spades, hearts and diamonds (4) 27 Shuts short road after hospital’s lucky escape (5,5)

DOWN 1 Hack crossing Portugal gets place on front page? (6) 2 Come onto the scene in a contemporary broadcast (6) 3 Walk through the law (14) 4 Sanctimonious bunch suppressed by international high-flier (4,5) 5 Leak from former lover you heard? Desperate, showing no heart (5) 7 Varied options must include one job (8) 8 Transparency of woman hugging loveless idiot (8) 9 Fishing-boat’s single mistake, foregoing Southern relish (6,4,4) 15 Accept fans going topless for such commercial putsches (9) 16 A card game needing small contracts (8) 17 Look up drink in Japan as memento (8) 19 Refrain from mounting pictures in support of staff (6) 20 Reduce without a second order (6) 22 Old crowd rises to offer praise (5)