CRYPTIC CROSSWORD YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION:

ACROSS

1 Reduce the deficit, darn

9 See 23

10 Aberdeen writer penned harsh composition (3,8)

11 Binding can be nearly normal, medium, high, very high or lockdown (4)

14 See 27 Down

16 Senseless, aims on a comeback (7)

17 Tough backward lad with personal hygiene problem (5)

19 See 27 Down

22 Additional part of crowd scene? (5)

24 Marsh of mystery? (5)

25/28 Two-door could be wet or dry (4,3)

26 Extremely easily as smart as muddled tester of precious metal (5-6)

29 Teacher detailed bugs, for instance (5)

30 Opponent isn’t tenacious (3-8)

STAPLETON it! (5,3,3)

4 Closeted, 9 Alcove, 10 Scimitar, 13 Runrig, 15/18 Gear changing, 16 Uddingston, 19 Siddhartha, 20/14 Pete Wishart, 23 Rimini, 25 Cryo-pump, 27 Bone-idle, 29 Sponging, 30 Mearns

DOWN

1 Tin, calcium and nitrogen (3)

2 Accept heartless woman is after last Rolo (3)

3 After starting failure, traffic warden clamps wheel of Gypsy star (5,6)

4 Dream chap on the Moray coast (7)

5 Lochaber village glueing, yet coming apart (7)

6 No use - pushed to a high degree (3)

7 Endlessly furious public left in scarce plant fungus (5,6)

8 Perhaps frees resistance in among Better Together and their kind (4-7)

12 Gutless wonder has equal care reassembling shiny East Asian items (7,4)

13 Searches carefully around research room, returning with bacterial disease doomsday devices (6,5)

15 Representative covering unexceptional inquiry (7,4)

20 In front of The Grampians 10Ac’s novel Asians kept quiet (1,4,2)

21 Binocular identifying Jacks of spades and hearts (3-4)

26 See 27

27/18/25 Queue mostly in roadworthy convertible by 10Ac (3,6,4)

27/19/14/26Dn Evil building inside thing at peak 10Ac work (3,6,8)

27/23/9 Man and woman never go out together from 10Ac creation (3,12)

28 See 25 Across

Down: 1 Leaf bug, 2/12 Macdonald brothers, 3 Navaho, 5/1A Loch Lomond, 6 Sumburgh, 7 Tutor, 8 Dart gun, 11 Traders, 17/28/26 The Cutter and the Clan, 19 Scribes, 21 Express, 22/24 Donnie Munro