CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Verbally attack old woman after writing (7) 5 Rubber seals previously belonged to girl (7) 9 Game I played with secret police on a new member of former Soviet Union (7) 10 Ironic criticism to shed light over nothing (7)

11 Delights certain to be included in requests (9)

12 One assumes attitude with graceful bearing (5)

13 Mother adopts you in France, giving minimum of information (5)

15 Any large patter relating to speech (9) 16 Maryland port comes with order for extra curry (9)

18 Wearing socks made thoroughly wet (5) 21 South American extinct bird discovered in Polynesian island (5)

22 Fire clergy wearing this by way of repentance? (9) 24 Supermarket’s not opening when I am putting on absurd playwright (7) 26 Renaissance architect bet liar could be confounded (7)

27 Bull lay composedly on hearing this, presumably (7) 28 Trending english county with growth promoting environments (7)

DOWN

1 Distemper seen in problematic accommodation (4,3)

2 Not a problem as new to code (2,5) 3 Original baby balms put on abscesses (5) 4 Factotum displays more than major victim of 1dn (7,8)

5 Barrier put over RTA in 1929 disaster (4,6,5) 6 Add up to a few, we hear (3) 7 Affecting first exam test I have taken (7) 8 Seal end comprises puffins’ favourite food (4,3)

12 Steal a tiny bit (5)

14 Scottish girl shows method of operating on Irish nationalists (5)

16 Stable I prepare for something like an animal (7)

17 On the threshold of passing prelim in algebra (7)

19 Changing course about girl is a form of punishment (7) 20 Return voyage brought flowers (7) 23 In retrospect, almost ready to support New World navigator (5)

25 Mollusca, crocodile, bass, may all end up here (3).