Cryptic crossword

ACROSS

1 Persecuted, odd nerd wanders

round strange town (11)

9 Dismissed, say, having earned

time to remain longer (7)

10 The same as disregarding

large radius in big circle (7)

11 Spoil three-quarters of planet

(3)

12 Employed around head office,

not contracted out (2-5)

13 Strike changes to UK law (4,3)

14 What’s applied to hair backstage? (3)

15 During half-term, top-class

students produce cloth (5)

17 Tense story-teller returns in

drag (5)

18 These days, NI politicians

make sense (3,2)

20 More plucky keyboard

player (5)

22 Regularly search bag in plant

maybe (3)

24 Others managed to gather round to film scenes again (7)

25 Unfriendly person in 2 I

avoided in rough sea (7)

26 Stand in odd places, looking

down (3)

27 Top man in Egypt played a

harp? That surprises me (7)

28 Hockey arena’s somewhat

nicer in Kitzbuhel (3,4)

29 Summarise reform of EU

penal acts (11)

DOWN

1 Tree problem causes the

middle to rot (5,3,7)

2 We start to take clubs, say, for

protection at sea (3,4)

3 Herb’s note describing short

song in church (5)

4 Having lost top, cover with hard wood and whitewash (9)

5 Old jacket’s wetter in the

middle (7)

6 Compulsory call-up antisocial?

Never, that’s wrong (8,7)

7 Team interrupts sound of bell

in sport (6)

8 A cruel beast perhaps ceaselessly vicious? (6)

16 Main guide offers mild drink

when Henry comes in (9)

18 Punjabi leader in endless

turban coming up short (6)

19 Capri so unromantic? When

it’s stormy, yes (7)

21 Nice here — I arrive in bad

form (7)

23 Impertinent children cast eye

over king (6)

25 No-frills ladies’ uniform is so

long (5)