CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Pompous official in Bear Inn in conversation (4-3) 5. Prissy person initially rather lacking politeness (7)

9. Scarper, finding sheep tick in item of tack (9) 10. Capital of industrialist originally in South Africa (5)

11. Soldier's material preceding article in medical journal (5-8)

13. Eat with queen, one men must find condescending (8)

15. Old coin sanctioned at first by King Edward, say (6)

17. American civil engineer after a new redemption period (6)

19. Unknown in top pub, a large rodent (8)

22. French writer's talk with journalist grabbing a university chap (13)

25. In Kiel it established a size of type (5)

26. Cut limb off top of birch in woman's stock farm (9) 27. Possible source of

Brazil's ten true reforms (3-4)

28. Soldiers in East allowed to fire, perhaps, once (7)

DOWN 1. Afterthought about old lady's last bunch of flowers (4)

2. Coincide in part with deliveries friend set up (7) 3. Fine Scottish knight's physical strength (5)

4. Way in which slow mover enters boundary? (8) 5. Vexed woman tearing into chap under pressure (6) 6. Ugly university son enters regularly after dark (9) 7. Break actually taken without resistance (7) 8. Anguish of ambassador over holiday tour of galleries? (10)

12. Shield English lad about to dodge church parade at last (10)

14. Wide boy always supporting striker in court (9)

16. Game left over at end of table (8)

18. Doctor at bar is Middle East scholar (7)

20. Joiner climbing mountain at a gentle pace (7)

21. Cross about theologian's disorganisation (6) 23. Someone like Zorba almost: do you concur?

(5)

24. Talk about Panama, possibly (4)