CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

6 Social difficulty with mum and boy meeting decent chaps taking time (13)

8 Author of Yellow Spring (6) 9 Boat that’s smart with name of island group (8)

10 Something disturbing? Notice nothing (3)

11 Burden beginning to worry crew (6)

12 Dogs making row interrupting churchservice (8)

14 Notice eccentric character at the end of short drama (7)

16 A crime rocking a country (7) 20 Dame’s pet let loose, running out of control (8)

23 Stop rude sister needing wings clipped (6)

24 Side no good – what it won’t get? (3)

25 Like bees in sun initially getting hot (8)

26 Attack route towards city centre, say? (6)

27 Our delight not wavering, giving end-of-year message (4,3,3,3)

DOWN

1 Travel in France – US soldier getting cold is hypersensitive (8)

2 One impressed by false image, I had nothing subsequently (8)

3 Traditions of border location? (7)

4 Sheds garments making journey aboard ship (6)

5 English friend entering province of Asian country (6)

6 What could make remote wall rot in fort (8,5) 7 See Cardiff install mostly new safety measure for pedestrians (7,6)

13 Restriction that denies team a 24 (3)

15 Spring sees the uprising of a snake (3)

17 Twelve using power to restrict awful din (8)

18 Californian can, maybe! (4,4) 19 Fresh group of spectators in a stir once (7)

21 Jolly type from India diving into French river (6)

22 One wanting journalist’s article travelled north to collect it (6)