Daily Answers

1-across – Pull old-fashioned woman over for being a slowcoach : LAGGARD

5-across – Have gangs taken over society? : POSSESS

10-across – Colour at the heart of nebula that’s exploding : BLUE

11-across – Publicises actors moving into Norfolk area : BROADCASTS

12-across – Metal device Apple might make for Reagan? : IRON

13-across – Labour leader’s suppressing rage following Conservative mistakes : CLANGERS

14-across – Young people take drugs into strange building : TEENAGERS

16-across – Supporters welcome end of power plants : TREES

17-across – Treatment of waste 50% removed for you and me : USAGE

19-across – Playwright: I see Earnest initially getting cold feet : COWARDICE

23-across – Queen’s champion backing artificial intelligence : VICTORIA

24-across – Low centre of pants to reveal some flesh : MOON

25-across – Bring tea baked in tin with vegetable : STRINGBEAN

26-across – Starter’s delightful, they say, in part : SOUP

27-across – Adult exits station, not about to leave eating posh dessert : PUDDING

28-across – Elegant friend of Barbie in yellow : CHICKEN

2-down – One-time great still not caught : ATLARGE

3-down – Party conference speaker betting the election ends in disaster : GREEN

4-down – Stealing jewellery worn by Bob, model : ROBBING

6-down – Fancy hotel ad: ‘Not English or dated’ : OLDHAT

7-down – Looked over scrambled egg, amazed : STAGGERED

8-down – Group available to be released : SETFREE

9-down – New road cannot be remade flat : NONCARBONATED

15-down – Owl, say, to peck enthusiast according to Spooner : NIGHTBIRD

18-down – Before heading to UK, this criminal kidnaps husband with unknown dog : SHIHTZU

20-down – Drink mixed in baths : ABSINTH

21-down – The end is near, capturing Russia in retreat : CLOSURE

22-down – Fabulous creature to wear piece of cloth inside : DRAGON

24-down – 1,099 probed by us – sound? : MUSIC

1-across – Untaxed dealings in coal or jet? : BLACKECONOMY

9-across – This marine is a blue : ULTRA

10-across – No sinners in this parish church? : ALLSAINTS

11-across – Small surfaces where one sees runners and riders : SLEDGES

12-across – Take place in powerful movement to spend lavishly : SPLURGE

13-across – More crazy, previously got up in pink : ROSEMADDER

15-across – Showed we went in Boots : SHOD

18-across – Work a large gemstone : OPAL

19-across – Rich congratulations for hooker : WELLHEELED

22-across – Shortly arrive to approve navigator’s equipment : COMPASS

24-across – Remote branch not popular appointment : OUTPOST

25-across – In weariness putting lust aside for a change : LASSITUDE

26-across – Makes tea, mentioning the after-effect of punch : BREWS

27-across – Feel relieved, brewing herb tea at home on stove : BREATHEAGAIN

1-down – Cricketers, each arriving at London Bridge … : BATTERSEA

2-down – … the match they’ve all travelled for : AWAYGAME

3-down – The ultimate in snack foods for poet : KEATS

4-down – Stupidly select old bayonet : COLDSTEEL

5-down – Almost noon: too soon : NEARLY

6-down – Bitcoin creator who works underground : MINER

7-down – Having lost uniform, one chasing ship’s officer : PURSER

8-down – Get up, when music finally reaches conclusion : ASCEND

14-down – Where were slaves kept once? Antarctica? : DEEPSOUTH

16-down – Whole lane out of order for a spooky time : HALLOWEEN

17-down – A bit of spine needed by European in green underwear : VERTEBRA

18-down – Secret business taken up by religious sect : OCCULT

20-down – Hate exam, after two low grades : DETEST

21-down – Surface film made from a paint : PATINA

23-down – Endless unhappiness for skinflint : MISER

24-down – The last in a series of home games : OMEGA

1-across – Blight form : MOULD

4-across – Where milk once regularly placed with piece of bread? : DOORSTEP

8-across – Wake-up call, cross-party talks? : COCKADOODLEDOO

10-across – Discrimination therefore involves a thousand people : EARTHMEN

11-across – Range from Ark ultimately covered by dove? : COOKER

12-across – Funny serial about shaving people from behind, very prickly! : IRASCIBLE

15-across – Arabian Peninsula city Arabs rebuilt : BASRA

17-across – Bright boy speaking up? : SUNNY

18-across – Chaining cycle, punctured tyre on it : TETHERING

19-across – Line in a report that’s out : ABLOOM

21-across – March slightly lacking in recollection of spring, for comparison : PARALLEL

24-across – Jazz Age superstar, wild thing masking pain, she be dancing? : JOSEPHINEBAKER

25-across – Plant saving fuel, plant saving fuel? : REPEATED

26-across – Scruffy legion fed gruel, primarily : MANGY

1-down – For which Roux trains when cooking? : MICHELINSTAR

2-down – A nice turn that’s high up in the air : UNCERTAIN

3-down – The inevitable schadenfreude at house arrests : DEATH

4-down – Muck in bidet soon spattered about : DOONESBIT

5-down – C_A_C_? : ODDS

6-down – Get large drink and experience its effect? : SEEDOUBLE

7-down – Digital reference, nothing in Japanese city coming up : EBOOK

9-down – Moving left and right with angularity, one way, then another and back? : TRIANGULARLY

13-down – Content to leave early in matches with East Asian, once : CEYLONESE

14-down – Ten wheels came down on public transport : ENTRAINED

16-down – Thin piece that’s served up I finish off in bites : SPILLIKIN

20-down – Hanging head in embarrassment, going places earlier? : LOOSE

22-down – Salt pocketing black book : ALBUM

23-down – Still ruined : SHOT

1-across – Marriage added to traditions that we recently abandoned : CUSTOMSUNION

9-across – Fat blokes concealed signs of what’s to come : OMENS

10-across – Colourings? Yes, time to be put into puddings : DYESTUFFS

11-across – Waste a sporting triumph : ATROPHY

12-across – Active type, welcoming party, flipping left: he seems bored : DOODLER

13-across – Revolutionary party in thrall to curiously gauche Marxist : CHEGUEVARA

15-across – ‘Long-limbed?’ Scratching head … shaped like Humpty Dumpty! : EGGY

18-across – Major name in astronomy : URSA

19-across – Putin’s aim: to finally shatter belief in better world : UTOPIANISM

22-across – Flatbread taken from fellow at lunchtime? : CHAPATI

24-across – Principally, Achilles’ heel dipped in waterway somewhere in Greece : ARCADIA

25-across – Top biscuit : GARIBALDI

26-across – French river a little Frenchman’s in : SOMME

27-across – To sum up: conservative puncturing diversity’s sister principle : INCONCLUSION

1-down – Grim mating activity including silly leer : CHEERLESS

2-down – Rolling Stone icon on perpetual comeback tour : SISYPHUS

3-down – As mausoleum’s location is seen in Algeria? : ODDLY

4-down – Danger, by the way, for those over 70 : SPEEDTRAP

5-down – No, I sun myself up in the country : NATION

6-down – Anglo-Saxon king, large, wanting the trimmings : OFFAL

7-down – Fragmentary picture of ancient lawgiver : MOSAIC

8-down – Leprosy not beginning to upset bird : OSPREY

14-down – Expressing ill-will, three engaged in civil unrest : VITRIOLIC

16-down – Lad musing about member of association : GUILDSMAN

17-down – Component of woven arc is sinuous flowers : NARCISSI

18-down – A French experimental composer’s release : UNCAGE

20-down – Escaping from trap, Dracula’s prey increasingly beastly : MEANER

21-down – In Bond, female bodyguard almost given licence to kill pandas like this? : BAMBOO

23-down – ‘Ora pro nobis’ partly offering protection : APRON

24-down – Sign-off that might end with an ‘x’? : ADIEU

8-across – Off and on, Angus cattle close to Midlands town : NUNEATON

9-across – Depart in extremely enticing topless garment : EGRESS

10-across – Wings of airplane or back of aircraft : AERO

11-across – Wind from backside after beer, also when drinking unknown port : ALEXANDRIA

12-across – Unfortunate bloke missing first trick : ILLUDE

14-across – Way-out questions? : EXITPOLL

15-across – Siren in collieries barely active after loss of current : LORELEI

17-across – Old coins aired in works : DENARII

20-across – Case of medicine clears up tissue-hardening : SCLEREMA

22-across – Fly from two identical places after cycling : TSETSE

23-across – Hybrid ash tree not brown or green? : EARTHTONES

24-across – Smuggled bottles over bay : ROAN

25-across – Uproar caused by corporation in the last month : TUMULT

26-across – Plant disease Kelvin found in Toronto ground : ROOTKNOT

1-down – Pure breaks in Oslo, possibly luxurious place to go : SUPERLOO

2-down – I will be found underneath large bricks etc? : LEGO

3-down – Adult badger relaxed : ATEASE

4-down – Bury hosts grand European number : INTEGER

5-down – Natural to welcome oddly edgy opposite : NEGATIVE

6-down – Pat alerted about temporary addition to new estate? : TRADEPLATE

7-down – Observation using psychic powers in all likelihood seen up-front : ESPIAL

13-down – Rough time, 50% of team being run-of-the-mill : UNEVENTFUL

16-down – Mammals in lair bitten by English terriers repeatedly : EDENTATA

18-down – Available where subs may be working : INSEASON

19-down – Social deportment of a princess married lady entertains : MANNERS

21-down – Answer question skirted by this group of sycophants : CLAQUE

22-down – Arguably become startled with lush artist : TISSOT

24-down – Eastern spirit, Egyptian god and heartless Hindu goddess : RAKI