THE SKELETON CROSSWORD – £325 in prizes

There is a £100 prize for the first correct solution drawn; nine runners-up receive £25.

Send your completed crossword to the address shown in the box below left. In the skeleton crossword, the black squares and clue numbers have to be filled in as well as the words. Four black squares and four clue numbers have been inserted to give you a start. The black squares form a symmetrical pattern; the top half matches the bottom, and the two sides correspond. You can fill in 12 more squares at once to correspond with those given.

Send to: Skeleton Crossword, PO Box 12578, Sutton Coldfield B73 9BT. The winners will be the first correct entries drawn after the closing date of noon on Friday. Please allow 30 days for prizes to arrive.

ACROSS

1 Plant side pain pruned 5 Claims appellants initially

overemphasise

9 Happen to go away

11 Duff wharf more uneven 12 Round mushroom and

incomplete nut

13 Low pile beyond coalface 14 Snake put in here’s content 16 Refuse to cut far closer

wood

17 Rash head putting school

first

19 Thin halfwits engage in

espionage

21 Coach tour organised after

the end of August

23 Dirt is superior to grease 24 Greek character led short

American past city centre 25 A follower left bound by

mistake

26 Humble workaholic ending

rush

DOWN

2 Rich drunk under pressure 3 Moving an apron isn’t fair 4 Success leads to colleague

obtaining raise

6 Revolving fans astonish! 7 Footwear leaders slip off 8 Attendant runs in past you 10 Rebuke after toddlers start

crying

11 Instrument advantage fool

held

13 Firm core of tasty lettuce 15 Tracks on either side of a

beam

18 Hunt for wilful extremists 20 Fruit not taken inside

before

21 Weary East Ender over

anger

22 Girl turned in fought urges