DAILY MAIL CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Attempts at concealment very nearly stopped putsches (5-3) 5 Where to keep mounts secure (6) 9 It isn’t unusual to tour North Carolina drive (8) 10 Wear away a nail file finally (6) 12 Strip part of wall at home (4) 13 Reserve target for bowler and French dust cover (4,6) 15 Captive initially shared with Prince of Wales? (8,2,3) 19 PM, Irish president and ingenious inventor (5,8) 23 Misinformation for heathen father (10) 25 Bend piece of Cheddar cheese (4) 28 Annie, for example, makes men cooler, it’s said (6) 29 U.S. songster Robert right to tackle short line (8) 30 Get stressed about collecting a plant (6) 31 Support Poles worried about America (8)

DOWN

1 Start of climb bumpy and quite cold (6) 2 Call on Victor first to inspire one (5) 3 Storyteller propped up bar (4) 4 Instrument’s still cool after it’s blown (7) 6 A limb tilts over regularly, implying problem with this? (5) 7 Bachelor wants pale bird in Australia (5,4) 8 They pick the best team, ignoring first voters (8) 11 Broadcaster beginning to explore island (4) 14 Daughter lives with husband, good-looking guy (4) 15 Use a rope cleverly to get round Peterhead in fog (3-6) 16 Norway sailor’s collar (3) 17 Dismiss sources of Open University standard texts (4) 18 Gershwin composed one involving harps, oddly uneven (8) 20 Stone ring given to friend (4) 21 Stylish small cross erected under cover (7) 22 Woman kneels now and then to find money (6) 24 Last couple abandon fashionable mission in Texas (5) 26 Checks what Queen does, ignoring government (5) 27 Solver twice mislaying last toy (4)

PRIZES of £20 will be awarded to the senders of the first three correct solutions checked. Solutions to: Daily Mail Prize Crossword No. 15,662, PO BOX 3451, Norwich, NR7 7NR. Entries may be submitted by second-class post. Envelopes must be postmarked...