DOUBLE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CLUES

Across 1 Minister gets a politician to modernise (6) 5 Employing you and me brewing gin (5) 9 Overturn enclosed area in the middle of Lauder (2-3) 10 Scoundrel returns component of pest-control device (3,4)

11 Musical soldiers from America (4) 12 Transport retiring fibber working to order (8) 16 Aristocrat in Maltese development to vent anger (3,3,5) 18 Contract ends once broken (8) 21 Got a couple to hide crisp pancake (4) 23 Old Japanese fighter creating odd upset in Asia somehow (7)

24 Laughs at unstarted shifts (5) 25 Grass on Catholic leader for beliefs (5) 26 Rifle about to acquire bit of gold? (6)

Down

2 Laurel, say, always innocent (9) 3 Mad idea for helper (4) 4 Trend for bird repeated so? (6-7) 6 Ordinary task holds up woodland god (5) 7 A fan vandalised one canteen (inits)(5) 8 Amusing soldier gets mushrooms (5) 13 Chooses the wrong spot (4) 14 Snowdrop in a valley, half-anchored (9) 15 Fifty, single and solitary (4) 17 Old contest only about love (5) 19 Dashing society girl leaves broadcasting (2,3) 20 Stone fruit to dangle, did you say? (5) 22 Overly proud of small face (4)

QUICK CLUES Across

1 Over-the-top art or ornaments (6)

5 Put forward, propose (5)

9 Nimble, supple (5)

10 Talk over (7)

11 Smell strongly (4)

12 Settled (8)

16 Public disagreement (11)

18 Coastal waterline (8)

21 Flat round object (4)

23 Cut corn stalks (7)

24 Customary (5)

25 Cultivated (5)

26 Rent property on to another (6)

Down

2 Popular Glenn Miller tune (2,3,4)

3 Garden outbuilding (4)

4 Sit on the fence (5,4,4)

6 __ point, centre of interest (5)

7 Follow as a result (5)

8 Burglar deterrent (5)

13 Ready for business (4)

14 Entrance hall (9)

15 Small particle of matter (4)

17 Skin on the head (5)

19 Entomb (5)

20 Funny-bone joint (5)

22 Anaesthetised (4)