1-across – Poke one’s nose into group of servicemen with a candid humour, leading to hospital : MESSAROUNDWITH

9-across – Action that doesn’t take place in Union St : NONSUIT

10-across – Robin’s mate’s second in one increase? : BATSMAN

11-across – Give up the harvest : YIELD

12-across – Transporter : TRIERARCH

13-across – Mention of a mechanical piece in the isthmus : NAMECHECK

14-across – Norman ruler starts to be added to the jackpot : ROLLO

15-across – Complaint as of the murmuring of innumerable bees? : HIVES

17-across – Reduce status of dog warden? : DOWNGRADE

20-across – Indian city’s veto on quantity : BANGALORE

22-across – Compare plant with symbiotic fungus, say : LIKEN

23-across – Sort of box for little gentlemen in trouble : NESTING

24-across – An island at back of Russian girl : TATIANA

25-across – See 6 : UNDERTHEBRIDGE

1-down – What generates interest is Araucaria’s home hosting one old Greek king : MONEYINTHEBANK

2-down – Ray to be replacing Rhode Island in Dutch Guiana : SUNBEAM

3-down – Awfully cute little quadruplets that hold 6 : AQUEDUCTS

4-down – 6 animal loses tail and so on turning up inside with a group : OCTETTE

5-down – Get a taste of ink in the club? : NIBLICK

6-down – Deterrent rebid, Waugh’s work for passing time? : WATER

7-down – Vehicle submerged in a sea of lost umbrellas : TUMBREL

8-down – See 21 : ONTHEOCEANWAVE

14-down – Cycle of duty with pistol has backing : REGULATOR

16-down – Meat in the oven is only half cooked : VENISON

17-down – Medicine man should be here as rainmaker? : DROUGHT

18-down – Fight with the French after peace : WRESTLE

19-down – Embarrassed by prize that contains little power : AWKWARD

21-down – Freefone between Alison and Theodore, a new arrangement in the first home to which the marines marched : ALIFE

7-across – Red wine splashed across first cover : EIDERDOWN

8-across – Article about next number : THREE

9-across – Base the next on what might be of use — it’s flawless : MISERABLE

10-across – Next, start to sit on next seats : SOFAS

12-across – Next, in plainsong? : BALLAD

13-across – Extended discussions of next report on backing for beards : TEACHINS

14-across – Bent corners of next machine parts : DOGEARS

17-across – Disgust about next type of clothing : APPAREL

20-across – Lover puts weight on next : MISTRESS

22-across – Next flight is unusual : FAROUT

24-across – Disposed of next beast : BISON

25-across – Next, caught in violent gunshot attack : ONSLAUGHT

26-across – Free French one embraces next : UNTIE

27-across – Backing miserable sinner taking next and last gram : ENDORSING

1-down – Short piece of music, one of low points : MINIMA

2-down – Performed live, reel produces musical awakening : REVEILLE

3-down – Did badly to take vehicle inside pass : IDCARD

4-down – Interval between notes that soared in sober hearts : TWELFTH

5-down – Moving auditory experience for those that love silence : WHOOSH

6-down – One stopped and added: That isn’t ever even : DETAINEE

11-down – Catch some piranha species : HASP

15-down – Love binds one’s beliefs : OPINIONS

16-down – Beast backing into grass : REED

18-down – Clue to IRA high-explosive blast : AIRBURST

19-down – Foolish, mad, insane? Boatman’s secret : ASININE

21-down – Perhaps cancer sufferer’s last to be included in matter for discussion : TROPIC

22-down – Idle chap taking note where point is lost : FALLOW

23-down – Boatman, uniform : UNHAND

1-across – Setter’s eating large stew : GELATIN

5-across – After climb, turn up at party : SHINDIG

10-across – See 22 : KISS

11-across – Oxford cleaner hopes to dance around hotel chamber : SHOEPOLISH

12-across – Groove discovered in mainly hairless animal : BRUTAL

13-across – Cockney objects about fish having emotional responses : FEELINGS

14-across – Respected opponent in dead heat before heading off for the country : DANGERMAN

16-across – Little Tom and Jack : KITTY

17-across – It detects things from any direction : RADAR

19-across – There’s little space in refugee centre to smell this plant : FENUGREEK

23-across – Staff pluck endless fruit : MANDARIN

24-across – International organisation questions sailor returning a jacket : BASQUE

26-across – Merciless villain bound in carpet in American port : WILMINGTON

27-across – Tories cried out for service : RITE

28-across – Forceful adult admitted being fat : PAUNCHY

29-across – Libel law’s oddly lacking — peers to reform : ASPERSE

2-down – Country raised flag on 1st of April : ERITREA

3-down – Something useful for dog scratching head : ASSET

4-down – Original urinals, narrowly constricted : INSULAR

6-down – A one-legged painter? : HOPPER

7-down – He rescinds in full, occasionally; prisoner gains independence : NULLIFIER

8-down – The opposite of hidden awareness? : INSIGHT

9-down – Factory intern organised the brotherhood : CONFRATERNITY

15-down – Soldiers rioting, armed with guns : GUARDSMEN

18-down – A veto overturned on cultural body providing coffee : ARABICA

20-down – Removes ties when sister orders head to be demoted : UNBINDS

21-down – Agrees with point as being decided, on reflection : EQUATES

22-down – Intimacy that set tongues wagging : FRENCH

25-down – Rocks vet cutting tail : SCREE

1-across – Bob cut cloth back, stitching around upper part : SUPERSTRUCTURE

9-across – Popular teacher of French introduced to privileged dealer : INSIDER

10-across – Native putting this mouldy lot of cheese first : BRITISH

11-across – Pick up good, nutritious meat : GLEAN

12-across – Vegetable pigment breaking free with 11 : LEAFGREEN

13-across – Old regulars meeting for starters in local, demanding consistency : NORMATIVE

14-across – Texts university faculty turned outside : SUTRA

15-across – Bar from doing otherwise : INGOT

17-across – American parent adopting dysfunctional minor’s religion : MORMONISM

20-across – Mutual support for boys? I miss out : SYMBIOSIS

22-across – Babe getting right into Republicans’ comeback : SPROG

23-across – Channel turning minister 1 down part 2 : CULVERT

24-across – Stroller’s fishy funeral : FLANEUR

25-across – Dance queen : PRIMABALLERINA

1-down – Eg ant’s time on duty, drinking double spirit dry : STINGINGINSECT

2-down – Stick with original scientist : PASTEUR

3-down – Greyish-brown hairdo let outside, wasting space : REDUNDANT

4-down – Composer to get up in worse health? : TORELLI

5-down – Offence taken at bird drinking 7 Up : UMBRAGE

6-down – Object to 11, first to last? : THING

7-down – Intend to line ripped costume : RAIMENT

8-down – Premier holds county without a marketplace, securing one set of spec­ial effects : PHANTASMAGORIA

14-down – Winter scene featuring cattle head to tail in Suffolk village : SNOWSCAPE

16-down – Female Ibsen character embracing male one of Dostoevsky’s : GAMBLER

17-down – Prohibitionist’s last ambush wrecked brewer’s equipment : MASHTUB

18-down – Agitate, fluster, calm : RESTFUL

19-down – Citizen raising 21s, typist’s occupational hazard : ISRAELI

21-down – Currency secreted in compiler’s gut : ILEUM

1-across – Cut through mole, being careless : SLOPPY

4-across – Goat and mouse 23 : BUTTER

9-across – Swallowed by frog, left eye : OGLE

10-across – Meat in Indian less hot, dish recalled as 23 starter : SHAMIKEBAB

11-across – Instrument cutting grain husks, finding substance in wheat : GLUTEN

12-across – Give a little, as winning : HANDSOME

13-across – Excellent tie stolen by drunk : TOPDRAWER

15-across – Resolution, coarse stuff : GRIT

16-across – 23, as in pot scoffed by Greek character : LAMB

17-across – This served with 23 that’s yellow in heap : PILAURICE

21-across – Orderly present, man finally tucked into bed : COHERENT

22-across – Ultimately, project cold, not the right plan : TACTIC

24-across – Evidence of BSE with half of bacon 23 : BEEFMADRAS

25-across – Scoundrel leaves, one gathers : RAKE

26-across – Saw always dividing pipe : SAYING

27-across – Understanding shown by any sort of African : KENYAN

1-down – Epic place to go for a 23 : SAGALOO

2-down – Patent done before end of contract : OVERT

3-down – See 16 across : PASANDA

5-down – Lacking leadership, trouble afoot for traditional Labour allies : UNIONS

6-down – Fixed rate more reliable for the one with the money : TREASURER

7-down – Once more welcome to postpone commercial breaks : READMIT

8-down – Shop assistants resist charges for renovation : CASHREGISTERS

14-down – Male ego in Lady Gaga, one’s flighty but delicate : DAMSELFLY

16-down – One in ecstasy after heading off prowler : LIONESS

18-down – Entertainer performing satire about the end of Marat : ARTISTE

19-down – See 4 : CHICKEN

20-down – Keep film in water : RETAIN

23-down – Treat skin that’s hot : CURRY