CRYPTIC

ACROSS

3 Plenty in favour of a merger (9) 8 Former morning paper (4) 9 Sluggard making little progress with a tutor (9) 10 Class a number as precise (6) 11 They carry goods south in stormy seas (5) 14 Strip a fire-arm? (5) 15 Absorbed with a new part (4) 16 Wounds in a most absentminded way (5) 18 Pitcher we return with little hesitation (4) 20 Acted strangely for a Service trainee (5) 21 Come up to stretch between bends (5) 24 Habit-forming, craftsman (6) 25 Broke down, oddly enough! (7,2) 26 Capital needed so brought back fifty and nothing more (4) 27 Neighbourly invitation – after an operation? (4,5)

DOWN

1 He may do you a good turn! (9) 2 Not a bad bid for the roundabouts? (4,5) 4 One may call it a breakfast favourite (4) 5 Colours and becomes servile (5) 6 Rather earlier (6) 7 Formerly found in a prison cell (4) 9 These are sure to be brisk for beer on board (5) 11 A strike may make one ashamed (5) 12 Old-timer (9) 13 Specify space available for a first-class passenger (5-4) 17 Throw away a fight? (5) 19 Possibly secure and free from danger (6) 22 Belief in sacred office (5) 23 A monster came up for that reason (4) 24 A fit convert, perhaps (4)