The Herald crosswords
ACROSS
8 Criminal pinching present, with little time to be sensible (8)
9 Harm caused by female holding whip (6)
10 Frenchman getting woman's spleen... (6)
11 ...an extremely exotic love story (8)
12 Reserved sporting arena to host ceremony from the east (8)
13 Characters in committee thereafter develop
Hampstead Heath (6)
14 Great pub's rent is ridiculous in Europen city (5,10)
18 Scouse chanteuse on the radio - a fabulous creature (6) 20 Lecture Tory about prank, with sides splitting (8)
23 After wine in Paris, old man has little room for food (8) 24 Cousins, say, beginning to savour fish recipe (6)
25 One carrying wood for burning (2,4)
26 Birds eating dead apes (8)
DOWN
1 A little merlot, or beer and spirits (6)
2 Ridicule verdict that's right for clubs (8)
3 Middle-eastern enemy shot leader of Israel (6)
4 Honest person's hand's touching nose (8,7)
5 One agrees to enlist with idiot (8)
6 Manage to give student energy (6)
7 Tory PM'S mischievous threat to annex Switzerland (8)
15 Sales operations outside university (8)
16 Teeth are found in fruit (8) 17 Crazy about daughter's headscarves (8)
19 Boy's story about a theologian (6)
21 Blue Peter is questionable, to some extent (6) 22 Peacekeepers' clothing almost never crumpled (6)
ACROSS
1 Tummy-trimming exercises (3-3)
4 Take issue (6)
9 Uproar, racket (3)
10 Enemies, foes (9)
11 Spiny plants found in the desert (5)
12 Occupants of a prison (7) 14 Initial cost of a house for sale (6,5)
17 Light lady's umbrella (7)
18 ___ Izzard, comedian and actor (5)
20 Exaggerate or misrepresent (9) 22 TV presenter and comedian Ms Giedroyc (3)
23 Moped resentfully (6)
24 Stage whispers (6)
DOWN
1 Tempt, lead astray (6) 2 Popular accompaniment to gin (5)
3 Bans, forbids (9)
5 Particle that has lost or gained an electron (3) 6 Devotee (7)
7 Stratagems (5)
8 Open so as to let in water (6,1,4) 13 Unlawful killers (9)
15 Having a dreamlike quality (7)
16 Large stringed instruments (6)
17 Albert Hall concerts (5)
19 With a curved roof (5)
21 Container for return postage (inits) (3)