THE SKELETON CROSSWORD – £325 in prizes

There is a £100 prize for the first correct solution drawn; nine runners-up receive £25.

Send your completed crossword to the address shown in the box below left. In the skeleton crossword, the black squares and clue numbers have to be filled in as well as the words. Four black squares and four clue numbers have been inserted to give you a start. The black squares form a symmetrical pattern; the top half matches the bottom, and the two sides correspond. You can fill in 12 more squares at once to correspond with those given.

Send to: Skeleton Crossword, PO Box 12578, Sutton Coldfield B73 9BT. The winners will be the first correct entries drawn after the closing date of noon on Friday. Please allow 30 days for prizes to arrive.

ACROSS

1 Victories to do with

searches

6 Cover story five in Rome

back

8 A little dunnock is sure to

peck

10 Dry tail of unremarkable

beast

11 Trial court oddly wanting

settlement

13 One way back from candy

shows no interest

15 Anger about revolting pet

snake, perhaps

16 Cold house irking

occupants lacked a toilet 17 Unoriginal ending of

tedious story

18 Aspiring actress open

about silent part

21 A beard grew, covering adult entertainer’s face repeatedly

23 Second vessel to get closer

(2 words)

25 Banned graduate turned in

as well

26 A biblical character like

Saul, in part

27 Wise supermarket opening

on time

28 Account now closed by

guys in a film

DOWN

1 Maybe this is the answer 2 The great and good of

France set up some rules 3 Awful lunatic in a blue cast 4 Nick is missing one duck 5 A bird or birds ascending 7 Perhaps another rogue is

shocking

9 Foreign bread formerly

closer to eggs in the fridge? 12 In time, this reflection

appeared

14 Sauce a pain put on one’s

starter

19 Fish astute traveller

conceals

20 Ham it up a little bit after

first sign of ennui

22 This one made up first,

therefore

24 Huge container with some

lead in it