PRIZE CROSSWORD

Finnies is an independent family jeweller renowned throughout the north-east of Scotland for commitment to personal service and an underlying love of quality jewellery, watches and gifts.

ACROSS

1 I’m about to be covered in purple volcanic stone (6)

4 Hot and humid weather finally in issue (6)

9 Seaman or collier embracing a redhead (7) 10 Churchman put six on the vehicle (5)

11 Meadow flower round mouth of a bullock? (5)

12 After corner cut, limo crashed causing chaos (7) 13 Entertain in the morning, then manipulate (5)

15 Hate to grab Horace, it lacks elegance (5)

20 Graduate encircling a menagerie, final check for weapon (7) 22 Snoops in casinos, essentially (5) 24 Stone weight a farm vehicle brought round (5)

25 Can thwart what may surround the joint (7)

26 Tricky fellows pitch a tent in seconds (6)

27 Eastern power source listened to with respect (6)

DOWN

1 Swab back twice for woollen tassel (6)

2 Final ultimatum on spoken message (5)

3 Tin imitates party nibbles (7) 5 Motorist didn’t start in stream (5) 6 Instrument to audibly preserve orchestra leader (7)

7 Group of friends in shape? (6) 8 Sibling lacks hesitation getting soup (5)

14 Dance to almost blue Ford saloon by motorway (7)

16 Fruit and nuts (7) 17 Calculator used regularly during Zambian cruise (6)

18 Poor quality Scots potato, we hear (5)

19 Youth leader in a squalid property finds sanctuary (6)

21 Where H is available? (2,3) 23 Put away, but decays round start of Easter (5)