7-across – Town setter enters almost half-cut : HALIFAX

8-across – See 24 : FARADAY

9-across – Claptrap backed by some lethal blows : BLAH

10-across – Awards detailed excellent toilet, except for one holding company : ACCOLADES

12-across – Head of state leaving wine district very sober : GRAVE

13-across – Place for skis when travelling in small jumper and dress, after change of heart : ROOFRACK

15-across – A female tennis player : ASHE

16-across – Start forging notes : ONSET

17-across – Whip with a bit of elastic rope : CROP

18-across – See 11 : ROSSETTI

20-across – Vitality low when returning to pub : OOMPH

21-across – Nuptials arranged to accommodate a prolific letter writer : SAINTPAUL

22-across – Film boy who plaits your hair? : TOMB

24-across – Setter in Bavaria brewed ale in a farmyard, getting drunk right away : MICHAEL

25-across – Porridge and fish dish : STIRFRY

1-down – Principle of retributive justice bags large Republican vote? : KARL

2-down – Number of people admitted to empty carriage on Metropolitan Line includes first to exit after drunk remains there : HIGHGATE

3-down – Bottle lost in a farce : CARAFE

4-down – A fool put wrong setter above measure : PAULFOOT

5-down – See 22 : RAIDER

6-down – See 21 : WAYS

11-down – First of tall stories about first mate ringing topless joint : CHRISTINA

12-down – Relish belting out Gilbert & Sullivan leads : GUSTO

14-down – Fool with hard material : CLOTH

16-down – Groups of musicians etc in argument turned on its head : OCTETTES

17-down – See 2 : CEMETERY

19-down – Forge some money? It tops your previous : SMITHY

20-down – Young ones in love with bartering system : OWLETS

21-down – Piers Morgan’s head gets turned by a lady’s bottom in underwear : SLIP

23-down – See 1 : MARX

5-across – Insect’s 22 with cover for a larger one : EARWIG

6-across – Rotten rubbish raised retrospectively : PUTRID

9-across – Yellow 22s in Shropshire : CRAVEN

10-across – Stickler with 22 on a table : LEGALIST

11-across – See 9 : ARMS

12-across – Mother’s 22, say, a French weapon : MACHINEGUN

13-across – Problem with a 22, a number of new lines to the front : TENNISELBOW

18-across – Problem for a 22: some haikus need translating : HOUSEMAIDS

21-across – See 18 : KNEE

22-across – Maybe head of telecommunicators accepting inverted burlesque : BODYPART

23-across – Tumour in 22, with love — mother : LIPOMA

24-across – Right 22 will not be forgotten : RANKLE

25-across – 22 with permitted hole : EYELET

1-down – Crack reversed in cracker : CREVASSE

2-down – Woody shrub contains wild beast within some limits : LIGNUM

3-down – Spooner’s suspended herb at scene of cockcrow : DUNGHILL

4-down – Cook last of cheese in front of radiator : GRILLE

5-down – Rivers rose so as to form subject of comedy : ERRORS

7-down – Talk endlessly about cast object : DISCUS

8-down – Mosley’s lot boycotts Hirst’s work : BLACKSHIRTS

14-down – Bean meal could be worth mentioning : NAMEABLE

15-down – Gall authorised around a part of 25 : OAKAPPLE

16-down – Pass the Guardian’s standard : COLOUR

17-down – Protection for 22 that gives direction to film : HELMET

19-down – A year in prison’s half wanting observation : SAYING

20-down – Transformer of Cambridge college with one change of direction : SELSYN

1-across – What Scots eat is of poor quality, we hear : TATTIE

4-across – Fruit in two hands : PAWPAW

9-across – Cross about leading member of the Establishment : ZERO

10-across – Filthy talk male abandoned coming to the female domain : SUTHERLAND

11-across – Creator of Pluto — with money being spun! : DISNEY

12-across – Finish with nothing and grumble — you may have got the pip : ENDOCARP

13-across – Delight to be had for nothing in days gone by : PLEASENCE

15-across – The first person to settle in the West Country : SMEW

16-across – Wildly providing brief message that there’s nothing to worry about? : AMOK

17-across – Rate bacon bad on account of salt : CARBONATE

21-across – Sole clot messing about? He had a funny partner : COSTELLO

22-across – Don’t just nibble your food! : WOLFIT

24-across – A bit in the paper, one of about 2,000 Nelson was given? : COLUMNINCH

25-across – Huge agency makes a hospital suffer a setback : NASA

26-across – Evil place of illegal activity : SINDEN

27-across – Malodorous fluid in filthy place : STINKY

1-down – Show 6 : THEBILL

2-down – Ye began with this source of annoyance : THORN

3-down – Yeltsin getting drunk with no expense spared : INSTYLE

5-down – To be continued with, after apologies have been given : AGENDA

6-down – Officers in prison keeping order with insects invading : POLICEMEN

7-down – Opportunity around end of summer for hay being left to dry? : WINDROW

8-down – [Bend the rules or lay down a line?] : STRETCHAPOINT

14-down – A couple of brief illnesses bringing a complete change of mind : ABOUTTURN

16-down – Hot men embraced by a timid sort, inadequately : AMOROUS

18-down – Front feverish — foes finally within striking distance at Agincourt : BOWSHOT

19-down – Leaving party, dotty Irish drunk — not one needing a Guinness? : THIRSTY

20-down – Quiet organ before start of evensong : PLUNGE

23-down – Revolutionary leader gets churned up inside : LINEN

1-across – Germanium is Hobson’s choice : GEORGE

4-across – Feeder keeping transporter as raiser : BICARB

9-across – Number of measures with capacity to arrest glossy object : COFFEETABLEBOOK

10-across – Girl nearly mounted? : ASTRID

11-across – Am I to run wild? : MINOTAUR

12-across – Tooth from world’s end keeps concerning museum’s principal : PREMOLAR

14-across – Administrative bodies for county : STAFFS

15-across – Herb trinity finally stocked by new shops : HYSSOP

18-across – Beast coming in guided back by bird : DOTTEREL

21-across – Rules needing review by one in period : CRITERIA

22-across – Show up previous attitude : EXPOSE

24-across – Goat, sinner; sheep, reformed — DIY production : PARTHENOGENESIS

25-across – Not exactly amused : MEDUSA

26-across – Repeatedly set out to fly : TSETSE

1-down – More fat from provision merchant, say : GROSSER

2-down – Present more unsatisfactory? : OFFER

3-down – Cohere without tear : GRENDEL

5-down – They are surrounded by wild snails eating last of food : ISLANDS

6-down – Judge’s portion — don’t start to tell stories about it : ARBITRATE

7-down – Born to upbringing of sickness and grief : BEOWULF

8-down – Striker in fustian, maybe yellow : HAMMER

13-down – Wrongly said that girl at pictures died : MISSTATED

16-down – Man with a cart turns up on the mast : YARDARM

17-down – Essentially America? : PERSEUS

18-down – Continue when stopping would be preferable : DRAGON

19-down – Backward girl’s article first : THESEUS

20-down – Direction about clothes in bedroom facility : ENSUITE

23-down – Last of sheep on field — time to enter fold : PLEAT

1-across – Placed on rear of babies, one of these, quick! : SNAPPY

4-across – Staff facility turned over sacred text : MANTRA

9-across – Miss penny in price after a short time for slower service : SECONDCLASSPOST

10-across – Country code secreted by girl, detailed : MALAWI

11-across – Making a comeback, friend boxing? : RALLYING

12-across – Top Welsh tourist destination : CARDIGAN

14-across – Tough coating handle in wood, dropping end : ENAMEL

15-across – An item caught by journalist, treated badly : ABUSED

18-across – Swimming, notices a man in the water : CANOEIST

21-across – Dangerous woman a degree cleaner : MANEATER

22-across – Pronounced metaphor that clashes : CYMBAL

24-across – Into smacking, if I then propose shaking, the results should confirm it : THEPROOFISINTHE

25-across – Ashes here including Emburey’s ultimate spin : GYRATE

26-across – Tap’s partner wasn’t him then? : WASHER

1-down – Mahler’s head squeez­ed between buttocks lifted a composer : SMETANA

2-down – Bouquet of marjoram or aniseed arising : AROMA

3-down – See 24 across : PUDDING

5-down – Free from blame for crack found under a book : ABSOLVE

6-down – With this, 24 3 : TIPSYCAKE

7-down – Want baked beans, cold, on edge of plate : ABSENCE

8-down – Old coin, gold, in cut stone : FLORIN

13-down – Disease is given little time in pre-med, unfortunately : DISTEMPER

16-down – Tight hold from Spooner’s head louse? : BEARHUG

17-down – Centre of Motown tried out — found here? : DETROIT

18-down – Top bar in restaurant to provide water flask : CARAFE

19-down – In North America, island, island, island, island capital : NICOSIA

20-down – Knife man’s wound heals into hollow scar : SLASHER

23-down – Artist to get one’s teeth into : MUNCH