CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Polish supporter’s back eating hot dessert (7) 5 Priest cracks jokes about European capital (6) 9 Conductor of electricity primarily in a storm at sea (7) 10 Bread roll and cheese impressing old chap? Not half (7) 11 Recall company director and medic (3) 12 Company bring missing European crude medicine (3-5,3) 13 University breaks record with popular plant (5) 14 She sat out in different places in Kent (9) 16 One can hold forth about eastern traveller (9) 17 House not looking well in Virginia (5) 19 In general, picnics often break up, lacking time (11) 22 Section of original drilling platform (3) 23 Big race ruined bony structure (3,4) 24 One with no belief in Cuban leader? (7) 26 Goddess inspires love, filling heart with 4 (6) 27 Theatre worker’s sideboard (7)

DOWN

1 Change part of film about defence ministry (7) 2 Alliance fit to retain bar that’s beyond criticism (15) 3 Contents of gallery making a contribution to popular taste (3) 4 Look into person’s ancestry (5) 5 Very British and quite unusual nickname (9) 6 Express a view about English sleuth coming in (5) 7 Sailor resold a flat in bad condition? He should fix it up (4,2,3,6) 8 Fanatic, unknown to many, conserves energy (6) 12 Stick around old craft (5) 14 Hunters see short people with bows (9) 15 Hotel abuts a very old college ruin (5) 16 Pay no attention to region in trouble (6) 18 Pointed a gun everywhere, left and right primarily (7) 20 Religious number secures a grand perhaps (5) 21 Unnamed chum became extremely hot (5) 25 Friend or enemy? Leaders give the answer (3)