CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Accept criticism of stiff pact he and I devised (2,3,3,4)

9 Fixed tough gang (4-3)

10 Meat he’s cooked is no different (3,4) 11 Punches in pegs (4)

12 This girl is liberal and independent (5) 13 Wise men claim agitators have infiltrated (4)

16 Abducts child as she sleeps (7) 17 Ramble with mother down in Australia? (7) 18 Heard to have recited sentence at point of no return (3,4)

21 Giving drug to wild horse results in type of pneumonia (7) 23 and 24 Where to hang your coat when Henry invites everyone to rise (4,5)

25 Girl about to be married loses right to stay (4)

28 Exaggerate hazard near leg (7)

DOWN

2 Went searching for supplies on behalf of elderly (7)

3 He has gone to Scotland initially as Nazi negotiator (4)

4 Ant sick after chewing tree flowers (7) 5 Do stamp down on east German city (7) 6 Goes into hiding, losing head at dangerous time in March (4)

7 Home Counties prize going away from land (7)

8 Spanish guy I got involved with over second lapse of memory, say (6,6)

9 Yearn for boss to take first dab with tissue (12)

14 Fast-moving attack targetting copper (5) 15 Bed on which to engage in high jinks (5) 19 Biblical temptress hailed on return to embrace love (7)

20 Extension of engineers corps is intolerable (7)

21 Comfrey is best one for remedial treatment (7)

22 Life force opposed to red wine (7) 26 Head boy to inform on child behaving badly (4)

27 Disappeared to north in rainy season (4)