CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 Endured final with journalist (6) 4 Incline towards nurse (4) 7 Dreaming about some sheets (4) 8 Promise to put pressure on sill (6) 9 Lame sort of dinner, say (4) 10 Race around tree (4) 12 Total zero at sport (4) 14 Talk of oxygen, for example (3) 16 Refurbished with pelt (3) 17 Sketched prince without article (4) 20 Beer includes old plant (4) 23 Dire sort of journey (4) 24 Frost develops around eastern wood (6) 25 Decorate with alcohol? (4) 26 Bound to change diet (4) 27 Learnt about regular payment (6)

DOWN

1 Students have to copy jacket part (5) 2 Dish gone west (4) 3 Imagine being armed, perhaps (5) 4 Dull meat recipe (4) 5 Come out east and join (6) 6 Leads off to glens (5) 11 Manage firm exercise (4) 13 Loosen at a French party (4) 15 Gently hold bed (6) 16 Rifts develop initially (5) 18 Mention freer arrangement (5) 19 A flat in ruins? Deadly (5) 21 Metal guide (4) 22 Air of invention (4) Solutions in next week’s Sunday Mirror