DAILY MAIL CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Lender’s new benchmark restricting hilldweller (8,4) 8 Seabird mostly appears in stern, as usual (7) 9 Dull sailor lives in New Hampshire (7) 11 Quiet critic’s job on show in advance (10) 12 There’s nothing to be seen in big wild desert (4) 14 It opens in Donnybrook ground, not New York (8) 16 Invent something for actors to put on (4,2) 17 A page may cover this in diary, oddly (3) 19 What good comedy needs? It upset China (6) 21 Sonnet composed about Big Apple – by him? (8) 24 Drink all except first trickle (4) 25 Sailors enjoy this break or else have manoeuvres (5,5) 27 Big snake ready to choke rare swan (7) 28 Old plump Tory leader enters, talking pompously (7) 29 Kitchen utensil works if given crank (7,5)

DOWN 1 Current producer got name wrong (7) 2 Soldiers upped and left defeat, earning reprimand (10) 3 Had door and first of windows repaired in ash, say (8) 4 Husband leaves love making record (6) 5 Prisoners are behind these pieces of music (4) 6 Number One a bit offensive (7) 7 Feelings of fear disorient Pat after surgery (12) 10 Parish binned crazy methods to slow traffic (7,5) 13 Girl in small room working with one sort of pasta (10) 15 Bill goes up to play at the Oval (3) 18 Annual July closure on busy Bakerloo Line scrapped (8) 20 Pole dance (7) 22 Rule part of US bordering Utah (7) 23 Lock up shed in error (4,2) 26 Fuel that’s somewhat undervalued (4)

PRIZES of £20 will be awarded to the senders of the first three correct solutions checked. Solutions to: Daily Mail Prize Crossword No. 15,425, PO BOX 3451, Norwich, NR7 7NR. Entries may be submitted by second-class post. Envelopes must be postmarked...