CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

16/9

ACROSS

1. Financial arrangements cause corrosion in a backstreet (6)

8. Receive information of a tragic king going North (5)

9. With back-up, train form that’s very moral (7)

11. Twelve months on the heather for such a young horse (8)

12. One side of the coin for those in charge of schools (5)

15. No excitement, thanks to the writer? (4)

16. Attempt to ring out the right-wing (3)

17. A lot of men marry right away in confusion (4)

19. Once and again mis-cite the West’s inclusion (5)

21. Letter with arms less elevated responsible for toadyism? (8)

24. The listener is, at that time, of clay (7)

25. With set purpose no longer mined, put one off (5)

26. Those who tend to run back to egghead in craft (6)

DOWN

2. Colouring makes scoundrel switch internally (5)

3. Victory led astray in Southern Region: he cheats! (8)

4. For argument’s sake, about fifty cause death (4)

5. Siren’s call is for beer: heartless rot! (5)

6. One to strike up in Africa as a Republic (4)

7. Hidden obstacle makes horse follow Squadron-Leader (4)

10. Always less – but not again! (9)

12. Serious dislike he shows at the centre (4)

13. In the main, it’s wet (3,5)

14. Where the cows are, be about to get your contents out (4)

18. Gold, found in a really messy dwelling? A likely tale! (5)

20. Peter came back to reveal a place where islanders dwell (5)

21. To lose strength could have been potentially unhearing (4)

22. Stake cannot be every other one (4)

23. Gave up West in old-fashioned negative: what a bore! (4)