DAILY MAIL CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Just over 50 churches accept new authority (7) 5 Organise overdraft provided in county’s banks (6) 9 Armed group intend returning to arrest one drunk (7) 10 He doesn’t want company left in secure complex (7) 11 Slip down mountain in Sikkim now and then (3) 12 Privates ached with it badly, nursing surgery – this sort? (11) 13 Feature of Hampton Court conceals current crop (5) 14 A French invader seizes chief, last one in race (9) 16 Long drink containing very soft fruit (9) 17 Drab boat husband scrapped (5) 19 English colleague accepts proposal, shedding tears (11) 22 Hostile section of Bastille (3) 23 Dust-blower is back with not much in hopper (7) 24 Token minimum put into dodgy loan (7) 26 Big bird circles British holy city (6) 27 With Paul, Reg shattered sound barrier (7)
DOWN
1 Payment union representatives stuffed in stack (4,3) 2 Colin sure is cool flying such a perilous path (9,6) 3 Eccentric group of teachers (3) 4 Stage staff turned up on time (5) 5 Worry about handle for ornamental panel (9) 6 Old man acquires a church as Putin’s second home? (5) 7 Like Einstein’s work involving airfield, sun and moon? (4-11) 8 Old airline trick? It helps pilots avoid 2 (6) 12 Participant in home game, last in series (5) 14 Crazy Rhone plan that’s blown at length (9) 15 Lords delay every so often for some strange reason (5) 16 Like Picasso’s first rickety easel (6) 18 Sounds like you’ll record what’s in Noel’s hearth (4,3) 20 Run into ruin, shivering, catching cold (5) 21 Large one protected knight? (5) 25 Damage stuff when climbing (3)