CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

Across

1. He works with last friend in NZ guarding lake (7) 5. Trainee reporter is on time for painter (6) 9. Designer genes repulsed robot (7) 10. Worried a North American holding pair of tens (7) 11. Child that accompanies Lumière in show (3) 12. MR James, say, or another writer creating his work (11) 13. Sailor in California forms faction (5) 14. Decisive game’s influential, if boring (9) 16. Priest is sober touring royal health club (9) 17. Both sides drink mature beer (5) 19. Be like Maeve, transported, imaginary (4-7) 22. Shot lifted over Becker at the start (3) 23. A mature perplexed layman (7) 24. Verse form embraced by Gironde author (7) 26. Heavy dog managed to enter dirty place (6) 27. Sweet husband, like Cyclops without energy (7)

Down

1. Model girl in Channel Islands college (7) 2. Busy banks berated fad for guesthouse offering (3,3,9) 3. Pope’s sign (3) 4. See wrangling here in Leicester Odeon (5) 5. Artisan beginning to copy Heyerdahl? (9) 6. Dutch settler constrains cross dog (5) 7. Filming right inside old ship’s fair game (8,7) 8. Artist features in last novel about the stars (6) 12. Joke about extremely unusual prison camp (5) 14. Likewise, army is ill prepared (9) 15. London college backs soccer body? Untrue (5) 16. Battle to search outskirts of Aldershot (6) 18. Rally disheartened bosun owing money (7) 20. Reproduce British grass (5) 21. Some clear the ground (5) 25. Granny makes bread without one (3)