CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

6 Tiny chain store refurbished old hat (7,7) 9 Take no notice of region in trouble (6) 10 Fellow soldiers lock stronghold (8) 11 He’s present at place for driving, about to finish (8) 13 Field in Rome a downpour swamps (6) 15 Divulge answer during party (6) 17 First groups of typical husbands show fever (6) 19 Cast trained at university performs badly (4,2) 20 Sign up-to-date copy in Kent perhaps (8) 22 Tweet: ‘Irish policeman’s stopping dance’ (4,4) 24 Join putsch with the French (6) 26 Resident vet set to break up personal stake (6,8)

DOWN

1 Great tactic rep devised that improves his hit rate? (6,8) 2 Trace members of synagogue choir (4) 3 Fed up having goal to protect (6) 4 Drinks accompanying writer’s game using deck (3,5) 5 Prison disturbance (4) 7 Type of ducks in duet swimming with feet tucked in (6) 8 Duty inspires boy worried about literature (14) 12 Little folk, 55 coming into view, heading north (5) 14 Some Arab horsemen can’t stand (5) 16 A very quiet boy’s earning universal praise (8) 18 French wine contains cooking oil? It’s a fiddle (6) 21 Hallowed area of ground in South Dakota (6) 23 Go out with fruit (4) 25 American journalist

gets exploited (4)