CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Bats desire birds to leave lake (7) 5 Leader, one from France entering race (7) 9 Pint-sized worker creates writing system (9) 10 Arrangement to have TV in higher place (3-2) 11 Certain result to invest Republican – and Democrat! (7) 12 Soldiers disembark round Floridian city (7)

13 Doctor coped with some rot (9) 16 Call taken by English beauty (5) 17 Enthusiast returning lives in capital (5)

18 Revolting animals were so stubborn? (9)

21 One to smoke in bed – it takes brave person to intervene! (7) 22 Child tucking into pork pies not the smallest, for example (7) 25 Path is covered in beer (5) 26 Warplane circling about cargo ship (9)

27 Stadium accommodating second large team (7) 28 Creche in North Surrey moved (7)

DOWN

1 Stitch up with nurse in classy area (4,3)

2 Only redeveloped southern city (5) 3 Playful animal despicable sort beheaded (5)

4 Pain accordingly doubled? (2-3-2)

5 Immature creature bit person from Krakow? (7)

6 Able to resist crackers? (9) 7 Going straight again – and let out with gun! (9) 8 Discharge policeman found in south-western river (7)

14 Agreement to involve government statisticians in count (9)

15 Lead astray? (9) 17 Feline in tattered coat gives touching display (7) 18 Mine – one almost complete – becomes inadequate (7)

19 Left in strong wind aboard ship (7) 20 Annihilate French from the besieged city (7) 23 Grand invested in bank for dynamic sort (5) 24 Taken from Sanskrit it lends book name (5)