CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

7 Extremely macabre crimes, terribly fascinating (8) 9 Declan having edges cut off Irish cake (6) 10 Bad-tempered rooks maybe seen around area (4) 11 Vehicle the woman parked in pound gets crushed (10) 12 End protest (6) 14 See an article creating hatred (8) 15 Budget speech lacking nothing (6) 17 Section of song about Egyptian god (6) 20 Feeble pet cried out (8) 22 After short horror film, start to exorcise spirit (6) 23 Unsubtle ambassador shown in group in paper (10) 24 Bark from limited collection of trees, foremost in forest (4) 25 Fanatic in middle of boozers, unusually late getting round in (6) 26 Superficial sort plugging leak (4-4)

DOWN

1 Don’t forget about

subscriber? (8) 2 Low-down involving

male agents (1-3) 3 Right after parking, I check it could mark the property edge? (6) 4 Party without French water supported by northern dandy (4,4) 5 Moment to worry

dodgy dealer (5,5) 6 Greedy eater served with one monstrous bird (6) 8 Light cold?

Treat first off (6) 13 Always squeezing by

on the outside (10) 16 Facing it during

contest (8) 18 Type of glass

vessel (8) 19 Fancy woman not having married, I repeat (6) 21 Took home edition about composer of anthems (6) 22 Rotten place to clear (6) 24 Extra off the mark (4)