SIR LANCELOT’S CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 Make safe some hollow remedy (6) 4 Initially grabbed Merlin’s unreliable, mischievous imps (8) 9 In essence I get new nitric compound dissolving sulphur (9) 11 Ordnance Survey, also known as a Japanese area of industry (5) 12 Diplomacy shown as collectible original is glimpsed among junk (4) 13 Think deeply? That’s Prescott in trouble (10) 15 Spoil the atmosphere after one politician is seen (6) 16 Stop commanding officer of French getting stripes (3,4) 19 She’s put off Scotsman revealing coarse material (7) 20 Mathematician worked out clue I had shortened (6) 22 40,000’s taken in victory and got some sleep (5,5) 24 Egotistical cry in a spreading cultural phenomenon (4) 26 Country rejecting help with National Insurance (5) 27 Irish county’s sailors will need this with their drink (9) 28 Sit on step, like a renovated guitar (8) 29 Be sorry getting rip during gym class? Vice versa (6)

DOWN

1 Satirical author’s The Birds (6) 2 Animal’s hidden a grooming implement in underground chambers (9) 3 Artist I would attack (4) 5 One who excels as a clumsy DJ (6-7) 6 Rudely gestures to a lorry being a bit daft (10) 7 For example, American one built up a picture (5) 8 Surprised, having gone in front after beginning (8) 10 Clinic run by monk for a westerner (3,10) 14 Novel form of pride found to be reasonable (6,4) 17 Another plant seen ere violet is cultivated (5,4) 18 Prepare fish on bank being more crafty (8) 21 In mine bring up little bird (6) 23 Goes by bus right before the 15th of March (5) 25 Man, for instance, lies very badly (4)