CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 A little girl took up one position in space (8)

5 It’s a shrewd move to create a statue (6)

9 Did an animal cause a stir round an ancient city? (8)

10 First runner to get into a state was a soldier on board ship (6)

12 Record cut short, so may have to refuse to recognise it (6)

13 In the first place, called up to report an accident (5)

16 Is it the wrong place to measure production? (6)

17 Study a Greek island in real terms, not abstract (8)

20 Is close to One Direction, so not that far away (4,4)

21 A top striker had to exercise to be able to make an effort (6)

23 Put an abstainer in charge of the top floor (5)

25 Work period needed the staff to be punctual (2,4)

28 Set aside part of a road-sign, or end up lost (6)

29 Add up no trumps, in short, to 8 across. It’s a gas (8)

30 Head for new uneven characters with the French (6)

31 Got round a design which created a lot of suffering (8)

DOWN

1 Had to cut short weed growing in the harbour (4)

2 The favourites must come back at some stage (4)

3 A quality touched on in a eulogy over time (9)

4 About to run, twice, to come back with an incentive (6)

6 A small musical instrument can be quite piercing (5)

7 One-sided attempt to get rid of some nuclear weapons, say (10)

8 Some plants are quite colourful, in leaf all year round (10)

11 Mass of precious metal found in smelting other types (5)

14 Discovered, at last, a small particle on the base (10)

15 It sounds as if it has been put in order, but, in fact, was poverty-stricken (10)

18 At the start, can’t ram a fast vessel, in the main (9)

19 A small firm had time to produce a necktie (5)

22 For a second time, call up about lot of horses to tie them up (6)

24 Is about to run round, on line, with her (5)

26 Matures, in the end, but it can take a very long time (4)

27 She will take part, in fact, when I decide (4)