Crossword

ACROSS

1 Escort service provider perhaps – bribe with £500 (Dh2,414) (6,6) 9 Encourage team with player sent off after try (7) 10 See a book spy pocketed, not being secure (7) 11 Drip in hostelry coming back for lots of drinks (5-2) 12 California men in charge concerned with heat (7) 13 Still engages a second worker in brewery (5) 14 Strong beverage and potatoes from Indian, they provide temporary relief (9) 16 Like some carphones made by robots? (5-4) 19 American soldier going after my dog (5) 21 Guide broadcast of person cooking spicy food (7) 23 Large number move aimlessly forward round island (7) 24 Puzzles formulated in games (7) 25 Moves softly, softly forward in games (7) 26 Half-heartedly cleaning mule station (7,5)

DOWN

1 Ran gaol cruelly as alternative to porridge (7) 2 Beg, heading off from downtown area before time (7) 3 Two features of seaside introducing parking for one that likes paddling (9) 4 Operatic heroine’s career’s beginning to take off (5) 5 Short literary work Fitzgerald produced after a month (7) 6 Ban so restricts business expert (7) 7 Husband cheating initially trapped by investigator, the old twister (6,7) 8 One working in the kitchen cooked sports cuisine (13) 15 Like dodgy joint that could give me haircut (9) 17 Some misdemeanour is hard to encourage (7) 18 Something sparkling cook gently keeps hot (7) 19 Song itinerant plays in company (7) 20 Calamitous sport with oval ball in America takes over (7) 22 Geordie teacher got up out of bed (5)