CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 English county makes base for car rental (12) 8 Carthaginian in command of regressive National Union Party (5) 9 Illumination from above contains original force of highest order (3,6) 11 Cardinal’s conversion doubtless made him this (6) 12 Original specimen for description is vacuous sort, we hear (8) 14 International waters at the time of midsummer (4,6) 15 Mate gives indication of dual nature around house (4) 18 Savings are entertaining from day one (4) 19 Tombs in which sheep curls up (10) 21 Sent in with competence, but without paying due attention (8) 23 Twelve-bore allowed to be carried in the north (6) 25 It put rude construction on depravity (9) 26 Boy returns with knock-out sign of secluded corners (5) 27 Thought again when criminal denies record (12)

DOWN

1 Prohibited vehicle proclaimed to jump on when highly popular (9) 2 Winter month introduces girl, English, who has come down in the world (8) 3 Swear word gets a hot treatment (4) 4 Dinosaur has swim at place that’s about to be suitable (10) 5 Didn’t give up easily, old hen (4,2) 6 First goal scored in gem of a game (5) 7 Inappropriate behaviour by sailor? Take it with scepticism (1,5,2,4) 10 The media Sinn Fein first learnt to consult about how to keep things hot (7,5) 13 Sell ragout recipe to rowdy young drunks (5,5) 16 Doner shop built from ruin of watering place (5,4) 17 Kids get in at an earlier time in boat (8) 20 Reported independent trial of colour (6) 22 Material suiting Frenchman, perhaps (5) 24 Beg not to start with main role (4)