CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 6 Terrible chaos with elves in narrow escape (5,5) 8 Northern beer knocked back in style (4) 9 Unseen area in which Venetians perhaps sink? (5,4) 11 Stimulant firm with beginnings in Central America (4) 12 Grain planted regularly in Argyle (3) 13 Language operates poorly without noun (9) 16 Home in Northumbrian street? (4) 17 Great moves – Ards’ wingers in blinder! (4,3) 18 Dialect needing good English at all costs? (7) 20 Fourth man group hated at first (4) 21 Witty remark about us having long whiskers (9) 23 Sheep taking zig-zag course? (3) 24 Time taken in warm weather to bowl over (4) 25 Sal breaks pill to provide condiment (5,4) 29 India governed another Asian republic (4) 30 Hero putting bullets into FBI agent? (7,3)

DOWN 1 State secrets? (4) 2 Booze in Calabria stinks! (4) 3 Employed engineers initially in Bucks? (4) 4 Unrestrained tirade involving a politician (7) 5 Course includes bread and Irish cheese (10) 7 Sociable old pirate races around (9) 8 Conservatives admitted to corruption of entire clubs? That’s strange (9) 10 Born in endless poverty (3) 13 Principal enemy later destroyed (10) 14 Catch up with female working in temple (9) 15 Rocks broken on way to Mardale possibly (4,5) 19 Vessel shooting across the waves? (7) 22 Fool starts with absolutely stupid statement (3) 26 Version in which stream flows northwards (4) 27 Mythical craft in a river journey (4) 28 Amphibian needs oxygen in small amount (4)