CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

Across

1. Stupidly volunteer, forsak

ing new sweetheart (8)

5. Standing stone figures abandoned by European (6)

9. Short-lived collectables? He reaches 1000 in record time (8)

10. Erica maintaining lake’s

physical condition (6)

12. Old agricultural worker

picked up white horses (4) 13. Bacterial disease – PhD

worked with it, I hear (10) 15. How sad can it be to change the opposition’s front bench? (6,7)

19. Milk supplier’s price racket, daring to pursue a grand (7,6)

23. Grasp two foreign articles

last (10) 25. Now and then folded a

jumper (4)

28. Reptile, one moved to front

in Guiana (6)

29. No British film director

admits married peer (8) 30. Withdraw control over

very quiet youngster (6) 31. Insult disheartened lady a

little (8)

Down

1. Belief in deity is welcomed

by those people (6)

2. Guide our group alongside

that female (5)

3. Block chimney, applying

pressure (4)

4. I got worried following

very short dizzy spell (7)

6. Note the unusual power

(5)

7. Educated CEO learnt

forbearance (9)

8. School cereal accompa

nies unknown mush (8)

11. Stylish bird snubs Ken (4) 14. Humorous writer amuses

a king to some extent (4) 15. Traffic controller oddly bemused about priest parking (5,4)

16. Our group start to bait

trap (3) 17. Handle what Billy may do

(4)

18. EU leaders stand up to suppress very loud outburst (8)

20. Top off stone entrance (4) 21. Wagon ruined in middle of hole, mistake in ground (3,4)

22. PA model accommodates

a woman (6)

24. Raced, say, over the Alps

perhaps (5)

26. Reading about writer’s cap

(5)

27. Society journal a big hit (4)