CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

No 16,171

FOR your chance to win, solve the crossword to reveal the word reading down the shaded boxes. HOW TO ENTER: Call 0901 293 6233 and leave today’s answer and your details, or TEXT 65700 with the word CRYPTIC, your answer and your name. Texts and calls cost £1 plus standard network charges. Or enter by post by sending completed crossword to Daily Mail Prize Crossword 16171, PO Box 28, Colchester, Essex CO2 8GF. Please include your name and address. One weekly winner chosen from all correct daily entries received between 00.01 Monday and 23.59 Friday. Postal entries must be date-stamped no later than the following day to qualify. Calls/texts must be received by 23.59; answers change at 00.01. UK residents aged 18+, exc NI. Terms apply,

ACROSS

1 At sea, reporter saw land bird (4,7) 9 Social climber organises rave-up around noon (7) 10 Old man’s in terrible semi – there’s no way out of it (7) 11 A few talked about problem at school (3) 12 Walk by canal to what absurdly restricts parking (7) 13 A row involving the Spanish artist’s studio (7) 14 Old lady’s bread (3) 15 Asian city food shop’s hard to get into (5) 17 Very good score by golfer in Gleneagles (5) 18 Guide’s well, heading off (5) 20 New inn may benefit you at first but he objects to it (5) 22 Athenian character associated with eastern dish (3) 24 Girl ingesting Manx cat’s toxin? (7) 25 Liberal taken in by stylish monarch’s idea (7) 26 Best ingredient in sausage meat (3) 27 Wife carried in broken ladder – she’s taking her time (7) 28 One old fellow in blue disputed source of energy (7) 29 Would you believe it, Len had blood replaced! (2,3,6)

DOWN

1 Admit defeat when other two lit crackers (5,2,3,5) 2 Beryl called regularly after soldiers turned up (7) 3 Second abundant type of fund that’s dodgy (5) 4 Weird man absorbs one African state’s sensuality (9) 5 Crammed theatre rented by European (7) 6 Fancy quail wing dish holding up cleaner! (7-2,6) 7 Perfect time to enter old golf club (4,2) 8 Banker retaining English creditor’s order (6) 16 Baltic port once left in danger after revolution (9) 18 Some shrug and abandon African country (6) 19 Algeria destroyed emblems of royalty (7) 21 Singer losing time in Tokyo working on disc (4,3) 23 Bury’s English disease on the rise (6) 25 Writer’s occasionally obtuse and diffuse (5)

NEED A CLUE? Text TIP to 65700 to receive FOUR answers to today’s crossword, or call 0901 293 6236. Texts and calls cost £1 plus standard network charges. Today’s clues available between 00.01 today and 23.30 only.