CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

7 A fool holding established financial benefits (6) 8 Leave the vehicle – it’s on fire (6) 10 Turn one into an uncharged particle (7) 11 & 12 Ac What those who make spare parts are engaged in? (9) 13 Failed to interest the directorate, we hear (5) 17 Being stitched together, they could make a mess (5) 18 To signify an intermediate position (4) 22 A practical lesson to be drawn from this sort of victory (5) 23 It’s disgusting – so I’m one very upset (7) 24 & 9 Dn Deputy head a very short time in charge (6-2-7) 25 They smooth out level pieces of land, we hear (6)

DOWN

1 Are those who receive it illinformed? (3,4) 2 Yes, a rut could form this part of the river (7) 3 & 14 Dn Presenting one’s relations! (12) 4 Footwear for one on a greasy surface (7) 5 Some of the retrogressive monsters (5) 6 It’s not the same having to put up with the girl (5) 9 See 24 Across 14 See 3 Down 15 What tellers do is check the votes again (7) 16 Prose isn’t upside down! (7) 19 A tightly packed crowd get together (5) 20 This is used for drilling a support (5) 21 Shakespeare’s testamentary documents (5)

Yesterday’s solutions:

Across: 1 Attic. 4 Mutable. 8 Venison. 9 Grief. 10 Rued. 11 Testator. 13 Back. 14 Cede. 16 Elements. 17 Epic. 20 Eaten. 21 Chasten. 22 Tuesday. 23 Horse.

Down: 1 Advertisement. 2 Tense. 3 Cast. 4 Minded. 5 Together. 6 Bristle. 7 Effervescence. 12 Screened. 13 Breathe. 15 Sticky. 18 Peter. 19 Dash.