CROSSWORD CLUES

ACROSS

1 Protection on a fence or wall (6,4) 8 Complain (7) 9 Horseman’s spear (5) 10 Need to scratch (4) 11 Thickening agent (4) 12 Impudent talk (3) 14 Imaginary, illusory (6) 15 Border (6) 18 Apex (3) 20 Darker part of twilight (4) 21 Strike with a whip (4) 23 Scope (5) 24 One thousand million (7) 25 Flag flown on a pirate ship (5,5)

DOWN

1 Pub or club doorman (7) 2 Loose flowing garment (4) 3 Come into view (6) 4 Erudite (4-4) 5 Of the kidneys (5) 6 Practice of farming (11) 7 Assistance (7,4) 13 Aggressive salesmanship or advertising (4,4) 16 Slow-moving mass of ice (7) 17 Line on a weather chart (6) 19 Christmas show (5) 22 Slimy garden creature (4)

Solutions in tomorrow’s Daily Mirror