Double Crossword

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS

1 Encountered ringleader, in charge of non-imperial quantities (6)

5 Cited new decree (5)

9 Not even lady rejects commercial, strangely (5)

10 No longer played the

part as demanded (7)

11 Provoke a dog cruelly (4) 12 Satanic wickedness embraced by beautiful person (8)

16 Our defector produced an amazing achievement (4,2,5)

18 Upset – met with drums,

played guitar! (8)

21 Boast, seeing black

bird (4)

23 Orderly surrounds wild sow – it’s not a problem! (2,5)

24 Announcer, one in

tears? (5)

25 Feeble little donkey is

gutted (5)

26 Surviving, though navigational instrument won’t start (6)

DOWN

2 Try to bring about

enterprise (9)

3 It’s said to increase

sunlight (4)

4 Men met, cheered about

drink (5,2,6)

6 In double century of a

nobleman (5)

7 Caught, she’s out in

game (5)

8 Wild urge to swallow

nothing but make-up (5) 13 Love object disrupted

lido (4)

14 Attack dogs, ten, kept by

pub (9)

15 Concert taking place over in Wareham or Poole (4)

17 Second promise to get

weapon (5)

19 Extrovert hoarding

treasure (5)

20 Quins wield… not odd if

single (5)

22 One found in Inverness

cottage? (4)

QUICK CLUES

ACROSS

1 Show to be false (6)

5 Sugar‑coated (5)

9 Join up (5)

10 Formal address (7)

11 Console buttons (4)

12 Be quietly forgotten (4,4) 16 Strict enforcement of

criminal justice (3,3,5)

18 Radio audience

member (8)

21 Junk email (4)

23 Hire vehicle (7)

24 Casino tokens (5)

25 Moorland (5)

26 Hostility (6)

DOWN

2 Too soon to say (5,4)

3 Unsightly (4)

4 Well‑informed (13)

6 Release (3,2)

7 Near (5)

8 Chipper, jaunty (5)

13 Threadbare (4)

14 Personal opinion (9)

15 Panto drag character (4) 17 Awry (5)

19 Vacuous (5)

20 Unexpected plot change (5)

22 Dirty froth or foam (4)