CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Yes, “Cats” dissolved in excess of delight (7) 5 Leap across tomb (5)

11 Marathon staged through the Barras led to panic selling (1,3,2,3,6) 12 Responsible officers tremble at firstcomers list for taking turns (4) 13 and 14 End phone conversation with narrow escape (5,4)

17 Buddy sizzled at including name (6) 18 Pose art model in Leith, say (7)

20 Side bar fixed up for pneumatic repose (7) 22 Defence department is initially highly fashionable (6)

24 Deep sea fish? (4)

25 Hairpiece a novice put on in Midlands town (5)

26 Colour I found explosive (4)

29 Sailors guide Calmac until an AA Salvage (8,7)

30 Conducts boys at English reception (5) 31 Rumoured to lay waste to conservative vicarage (7)

DOWN

2 Contrary force used by sales assistant giving hard sell? (7-8) 3 Instrument for recovering stolen goods (4) 4 Worked out where animals’ den went to (7) 6 Fail cause regularly, I’m afraid (4)

7 Be fond of chum, perhaps, when wildly overdressed (4,1,4,6)

8 Place for processing liquids that are top quality in non-liquid container (5) 9 More than one man entitled to be bunglers, they say (6)

10 Sportsman translated the tale (7)

15 Take delight in lifting crowbar (5) 16 Pass back and forth when crooked (5) 19 Rifle through vehicle found on British Isles’ north-eastern tip (7)

21 Suffering pains over first lumber region of back (6)

22 Give me a tax exemption for cleaver (4,3) 23 Criticism will be hard to shift (5)

27 Was concealed with nothing at first at back (4)

28 Be sick at missing start and leave out (4)