CLASSIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Second vehicle hired out is red (7) 5 Avoid unpleasant space, up to a point (6)

9 City has love for ladies' man (5) 10 Exotic tangerine from South America (9)

11 Type of fan for the dentist? (9)

12 Atmospheric layer, Australia

needing one (5)

13 Wanderer is number crazy (5)

15 Graduate finds strange article

relating to germs (9)

17 Diana's to get a soft fruit, then

vanish (9)

19 Covering over the hen? (5)

21 The French are able to come round and do the housework (5) 22 Society member to release mother and child (9)

24 Careless Nigel upset chap behind (9)

25 A price to pay to get to the coral reef (5)

26 Architect by church gets the tool (6)

27 Gave up work and went to bed (7)

DOWN

1 Ambition in boy to become a doctor (7)

2 Let in to confess (5)

3 Unruly lad tore sports garment (7) 4 Piece of land can be easily managed (9)

5 Regal sort of composer (5) 6 Forgive a swindle that's over (7) 7 Strange vision seen in regularly spooky plant (6,3)

8 Some nice, really nutritious grain-based food? (6)

14 Errand boy turns green after confusion (9)

16 Tradesman will complain and then go in (9)

17 European community in depression – that's good (6) 18 Writes to one on retirement pay (7)

19 Roast meat with a good man (7) 20 Row went ahead and caused annoyance (7)

22 Shelf displayed meat (5)

23 Scrub clean with acid round top of cistern (5)

ACROSS

7 Deprived inner-city area (6)

8 Growing older (6) 9 Disparaging remark (4) 10 Small police vehicle (5,3) 11 Underwater sport (5,6) 14 Static picture from a videotape recording (6-5)

18 Distant, remote (3-5) 19 Great warmth (4) 20 Maximum (6)

21 Ethnic groups (6)

DOWN

1 Goblet (7)

2 Film's main actor (4) 3 Encircled (6) 4 Orientation system for drivers (6)

5 Fee to secure future services (8)

6 Person related by marriage (2-3) 12 Wearing no shoes (8) 13 Skewered (7)

15 British actors' trade union (6) 16 ‘Around the World in ___ Days’,

book and film (6)

17 Whey-faced (5)

19 Rain in ice pellets (4)