CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 After church, Mildred arranged to hire trendy nanny (11) 9 Head of Tate, say, is demoted, producing bad reaction (7) 10 Quirky comedian wastes energy travelling around (7) 11 Arab king’s original zoo? (3) 12 Expert upsets poor worker (3,4) 13 Record poem about one’s part in serial (7) 14 Low satellite with no name (3) 15 Secure reversal of roles (5) 17 Film about European geese in flight (5) 18 Object with more expensive finish (3,2) 20 Savage Roundhead protected by metals (5) 22 Bird’s leg bone missing both ends (3) 24 Irish accepting new party sanction (7) 25 Bound to delete abrupt transition between scenes (4,3) 26 Main southeastern area (3) 27 Bad-tempered sheep worried — six must be brought in (7) 28 It’s used when operating laptop in various places (7) 29 Unprompted, comic puts on a nose (11)

DOWN

1 Callous indifference is a feature of reptiles (4-11) 2 Latest routes making progress (7) 3 Wood nymph boring a cedar’s heart (5) 4 Publican offers board and lodging in private (9) 5 Five hundred swim with it at sea, the fools! (7) 6 Big dishes of oilseed rape Scot cultivated (5,10) 7 Organised function with Mike that’s unplanned (6) 8 Sieve loose stones at bottom of mountain (6) 16 Report furore involving meat (5,4) 18 Release former English politician on time (6) 19 Left in charge of old covered entrance (7) 21 Posh doctor in Lagos curtailed backache (7) 23 Endless, like some stories (6) 25 Mythical sailor, at the outset just a lad (5)

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 16270, 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, see Page 76.