CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Flattening a pressure-pad one puts on (11)

8. Breadth in interpretation measured in degrees N and S (8)

9. Cylindrical rock sample is at the heart of it (4)

10. A nurse may be a financial swindler (5)

13. It may be a brogue that’s afoot (4)

16. One will have to study this computer symbol (4)

17. Something that grows, or glows (4)

18. Swallow a tobacco cake back (4)

20. With Mars, it may be a throng in the insect world (5)

24. Its bite may have some venom (4)

25. Extremely cruel way to boil it with acid (8)

26. Care about the study of telepathy? (4-7)

DOWN

2. As to this mixture, it’s the grain for porridge (4)

3. It is as black as the playing area can be (5)

4. A duck one found in broken reed (5)

5. Took nothing from cousin but a bone in the ear (5)

6. Marking time, having downed tools (8,3)

7. Ophelia offered rosemary for it one Sunday (11)

11. It is also known as another calling (5)

12. A mark that may be due to destiny (5)

14. The time a voluptuous woman lost one (4)

15. Price charged for crossing may ring a bell (4)

19. May have a pang about being heathen (5)

21. Colourless as player making first move in chess (5)

22. Fanatical as one is, afflicted with hydrophobia (5)

23. It’s not enough to make the side of an open tart (4)