1-across – Staffs man employed in counting sheep, originally : CROOKS

4-across – See 12 : THEHOOP

9-across – Bacchanalian celebration beginning after giro blown on wine : ORGIASTIC

10-across – Film on cross-dressers seen here? : TVSET

11-across – Extremely uneven unlit B-road : ULTRA

12-across – Barbarian taking crude photo? He managed to undergo ordeal, as must 1 down 24 repeatedly : GOTHROUGH

13-across – Offensive article about two females going after adult material : TAFFETA

15-across – Disease vet identified initially in a pair of horses? : SPAVIN

17-across – Capital from turnover of work unit in Barry : ZAGREB

19-across – Maintained Welsh boy’s eaten a bit of chicken : ALLEGED

22-across – Huge bird unhappy over new location for zoo : EDINBURGH

24-across – Bottle bank’s half full? That’s half empty, son : BALLS

26-across – Ape tucking its tail inside vital body part : ORGAN

27-across – Row of bushes has more than its share of 1 down 24? : HEDGEHOGS

28-across – Fought with unruly youth about Soviets finally changing sides : TUSSLED

29-across – Artificial stimulant once put in port : SEXAID

1-down – Cheese’s left out for after start of chess game : CROQUET

2-down – Auxiliary indicating one should 12 4 across, centrally : OUGHT

3-down – Animal found swimming in a lake or a bay, primarily : KOALABEAR

4-down – Roman sporting catsuit : TACITUS

5-down – Become member of board : ENTER

6-down – Hiding given by wielding short scourge in first of beatings : OBSCURING

7-down – Yacht with power supply that’s irregular : PATCHY

8-down – Mark fools about to a degree : STIGMA

14-down – Ruddy huge game birds used to hit 27 : FLAMINGOS

16-down – Knocked up some satire, verbal lampooning in double quick time : ALLABREVE

18-down – Beaten in game, not having doubled spades in time : BIRCHED

19-down – Bugs concealed by soprano under a piano : APHIDS

20-down – Olympic event not initially covered — journalist no longer working : DISUSED

21-down – I moved into place to finish at 1 down : PEGOUT

23-down – Commonplace name held by god : BANAL

25-down – Liberal party having a little party with a naturally occurring drug : LDOPA

1-across – Positionally, the word flexible has ___ , I see? That’s what it is! : ELASTIC

5-across – See 12 : POPPINS

9-across – Reported pale food : STEAK

10-across – Finally, once or twice, page-turning Cosi Fan fan? : OPERAGOER

11-across – A dose of Ebola’s safe? Very contagious disease! : LASSAFEVER

12-across – 24 a 19 20 1 across 21 6 15, say — from this? : MARY

14-across – This peak’s claimed by old heretic for the master of the works? : ARTHISTORIAN

18-across – Discuss in some detail setting out the gallant knight’s limits : TALKATLENGTH

21-across – Less peeled skin for horse food? : EGGS

22-across – Knockers are wobbly — and sore, too! : ATONESDOOR

25-across – In a questionable manner, call promissory note deceitful : DUBIOUSLY

26-across – Smith knocked over, was sick : AILED

27-across – Solver’s companion is seizing up, coming across as complex character : OEDIPUS

28-across – That’ll teach you it’s different in the Home Counties! : SOTHERE

1-down – At all centres, sweaty brassieres analysed just like that! : EASILY

2-down – After a chorus is opposed? : AVERSE

3-down – Entering wood, a king and woolly bear have a cuppa, perhaps? : TAKEABREAK

4-down – Under surface of compost, dig deeply for aromatic bud : CLOVE

5-down – Footballers’ July, when there was no water on? : PRESEASON

6-down – Food content of an alphabet 24, say? : PEAS

7-down – Is the president a degree less affluent? That’s not entirely suggesting consistent pressure : ISOBARIC

8-down – Among grass, something flat getting lost : STRAYING

13-down – Player, brilliant player cut short, in essence : CONTESTANT

15-down – Relative beneath headlight inhaling it, not a breath of fresh air : HALITOSIS

16-down – Treat a foot breaking three times, getting old : ATTENDTO

17-down – Double deoxygenated gas exploding in bum : SLUGABED

19-down – Dog that’s mine, untracked? : COLLIE

20-down – Beginning to feel on edge, getting cooler : FRIDGE

23-down – Vacillating poet? : NOYES

24-down – Food not taken down then? : SOUP

1-across – Small girl and boy heard to amuse, Hegelian style : DIALECTICAL

9-across – Riding wild horse towards land : ONSHORE

10-across – Speaker’s chamber? : PARLOUR

11-across – See 21 : PENDRAGON

12-across – A question of pronunciation for one doing spelling? : WHICH

13-across – King of 5 associated with 8 achieves fame : MARK

14-across – Exposer of vagrant in love with tart : VENTILATOR

16-across – Pale powder covers fairy king with itchy feet : WANDERLUST

19-across – British king, one on field : LEAR

21-across – Behead reformer and wait, not losing temper with British king : UTHER

22-across – British king taking much of Wales by almost direct route : CYMBELINE

24-across – Stretch performed without shooter : DISTEND

25-across – Stand having wrong sort to drink : ROSTRUM

26-across – Associate of crown, Michael who directed the successful Equus? : DERBYWINNER

1-down – Having no choice? Send if worried to cattle farm on other side : DISENFRANCHISED

2-down – Early hours for the Guardian’s affair : AMOUR

3-down – I’m on the table with disgraced peer and sacked general : EPERGNE

4-down – Maximum speed ahead? : TOPKNOT

5-down – 19’s son-in-law makes crown available to everyone : CORNWALL

6-down – See yourself giving advice to driver : LOOKINTHEMIRROR

7-down – Ornament for gun dogs? : POMPOM

8-down – British king in painting by father of chariot racer? : ARTHUR

15-down – What a pity loved one’s expensive! : DEARDEAR

16-down – Hurts that may get us down? : WOUNDS

17-down – Clearly a convenience for Armstrong’s partner, say : LUCIDLY

18-down – Raise one lily as required by oriental warriors : SAMURAI

20-down – Having nasal problems allegedly, with plenty of space : RHEUMY

23-down – Jewish ascetic docked at German city : ESSEN

1-across – It’s brought back to eat with a fish : BARRACUDA

6-across – Soil quietly removed from worm’s head : MUCK

8-across – Fried food is wasteful : FRITTERS

9-across – Tawny owl scratching tail : YELLOW

10-across – In the manner of a loud disturbance : ALARUM

11-across – Survived Communist state intervention : REMAINED

12-across – Gas is not entirely fresh : BUTENE

15-across – Kiss Japanese people returning small flowers : PETUNIAS

16-across – Irregular code is broken with constant input : EPISODIC

19-across – Talk excitedly with civil war fighter on horseback : YABBER

21-across – Final eliminator involved 10 being knocked out : TERMINAL

22-across – He directs agents to lose : MISLAY

24-across – Nervous individual doesn’t give everyone introductions : ONEDGE

25-across – Agreed to drop odds, when they’re lined up : ARRANGED

26-across – Midday hail at sea : AHOY

27-across – Take turns to restrict entrance : SPELLBIND

1-down – Bass instrument over a stone : BERYL

2-down – Extremely rare — a lady of leisure : RETIREE

3-down – Elite soldiers each punched through a hole in the wall : ATEAM

4-down – Loosen tie and cuff : UNSTRAP

5-down – Inequality? Bars for women display this : ASYMMETRY

6-down – One working in bar with glass on either side : MULLION

7-down – Entertainment in bed — stroke bottom, then pull together : COOPERATE

13-down – The last of many put the men in a spin : UMPTEENTH

14-down – Threatens to throw grenades around noon : ENDANGERS

17-down – African boxer to leave later on : SOMEDAY

18-down – Gather and put away : COLLATE

20-down – Dog’s foot a state — iodine applied : BASENJI

22-down – Half-heartedly bite a fungus : MOREL

23-down – Student leaving dock collars me for change : AMEND

1-across – Dog’s breakfast was to become temporarily dormant : PUPATE

4-across – One appeal about drink that may be radioactive : ISOTOPES

9-across – Make it all right to be old-fashioned : SQUARE

10-across – All food to be returned hot to airport head : SUMBURGH

11-across – New lino, reset again, may need sweeping : GENERALISATION

13-across – Dull? Reverse that sullen attitude during distribution of claret : LACKLUSTRE

14-across – See 22 : CAST

16-across – Third party in tête-à-tête, where hanging takes place : GATE

18-across – Maybe curves around bad one? More likely bends for this one : SCUBADIVER

21-across – Squashed? Accommodation urgently needed with an easy lot of pieces : FLATASAPANCAKE

23-across – Olympians are Greek, skirting oxygen-free cavity : ATHLETIC

24-across – Drunk as a skunk product, nothing more : STINKO

25-across – Voice of trio involved in mischief : BARITONE

26-across – End of game for rugby backs with inventive character : EDISON

1-down – See 16 : POST

2-down – French composer’s bird : POULENC

3-down – Venetian island with its bull taking over small room : TORCELLO

5-down – Second half listeners to song about sailor’s country : SAUDIARABIA

6-down – Liberian gentleman from Malaysia outside the British Museum : TUBMAN

7-down – Shakespearean heroine gets a rough ride in 20 17 12 : PERDITA

8-down – Keeping quiet, christen characters with muscle : SPHINCTER

12-down – See 20 : ASSOCIATION

13-down – Joint toy buildings almost set on fire : LEGOFLAMB

15-down – Taught to find old coin in rising river : EDUCATED

17-down – See 20 : TEACHER

19-down – Norse or English ones called George? : VIKINGS

20-down – School friends’ payment kept by head female in a church garment shortened, one with a tin with nothing in it : PARENT

22-down – Depressed county actors : DOWN