1-across – Just switching direction at the end for launch : PROPEL

5-across – German arranged a locum to attend a sight problem : GLAUCOMA

9-across – Picasso almost drowned in white, that’s obvious : PALPABLE

10-across – Ancient Italian, one featured in Ibsen play : SABINE

11-across – Camilla’s rock band study class : QUEENCONSORT

13-across – Said posh person’s off fish? : ORFE

14-across – Artillery alternative: nitrogen-filled ball : ORDNANCE

17-across – Ignorant state sends tanks to capture vessel : DARKNESS

18-across – Amalgamate a new Spice Girl? : MELD

20-across – Maybe Latin’s not quite Lady Gaga dancing with nude at back of stage : DEADLANGUAGE

23-across – Rather fusty senior gathering yarn : STALER

24-across – Casual underwear comes to brickie’s aid : SLIPSHOD

25-across – Pleased about welcoming international stars : PLEIADES

26-across – Ridicule eastern half of banana republic : GUYANA

2-down – Upended indigenous people failing to finish walkabout : ROAM

3-down – Nobody wants a Dickens protagonist to act like a mouse : PIPSQUEAK

4-down – Raver heading off clumsy person : LUBBER

5-down – Climate threat calls for fresh Commons talks? : GREENHOUSEGASES

6-down – Skips CBS and so suffers : ABSCONDS

7-down – Small bag – in public, a basket : CABAS

8-down – Clarions used in Middle East’s musical mode : MINORSCALE

12-down – Showy celebrity joining preservation body gets spoken about : ORNAMENTAL

15-down – Casually object: ‘short of library – extremely’ : AIMLESSLY

16-down – Excluded, deprived of drinking venue? : DEBARRED

19-down – Preparing to burgle housing : CASING

21-down – City in which Handel hid, eschewing all-round applause : DELHI

22-down – Tree with lost horse : ROAN

1-across – Irritate good number in party : GETTOGETHER

9-across – Gave opportunities to skilled objective nurses : ENABLED

10-across – Popular drink I had is flavourless : INSIPID

11-across – Revolting crime cases assigned to officer repulse novelist : ABHORRENT

12-across – Subject of interest finally released by police : THEME

13-across – Reduce the length of court’s enclosure : DOCK

14-across – Trainee satisfied about new prisoner’s condition : INTERNMENT

16-across – Material witness who’s easily taken in : SEERSUCKER

19-across – Attempt to make point stick : STAB

21-across – Friend from London joins church in America : CHINA

22-across – Opposing leaders of enemy nations first meeting : ENCOUNTER

24-across – Destroy corruption after one’s moved to act without restraint : RUNRIOT

25-across – Constant habit? : UNIFORM

26-across – Cruel engineers in need of inspector? : REMORSELESS

1-down – Studio artist clearly explained symbol in browser : GRAPHICDESIGNER

2-down – Half-hearted course director who does high-level work? : TILER

3-down – Former head is dear chap : OLDBEAN

4-down – Message from exhausted servant in English stately home : EPISTLE

5-down – Dubious relations restrained by man’s social worker : HESITANT

6-down – Petitions European parliament initially to object to food banks : REPRESENTATIONS

7-down – Pay compensation for person who pulls round : REWARD

8-down – Bill is right taking Dawn’s name : ADVERT

15-down – Retreat from reality somehow beginning to create impasse : ESCAPISM

16-down – Rescue suspect in custody? : SECURE

17-down – Consumer champion introduces con artist : CHEATER

18-down – Leave out Times Crossword’s first boring puzzle : EXCLUDE

20-down – Purchase some paper reportedly for ancient craft : BIREME

23-down – Join train on return journey, avoiding terminals : UNITE

1-across – Caliph’s comment about acquired skill : ACCOMPLISHMENT

8-across – Supernatural beings left during day before something’s beginning : ELVES

9-across – Playful and caring but not happy : SPORTIVE

11-across – Bringing in mesh : NETTING

12-across – Invade enclosure after some cricket : OVERRUN

13-across – Serves tea loudly in break : PAUSE

15-across – Moving five feet around circle at the start is productive : EFFECTIVE

17-across – Dependable agent united board : REPUTABLE

20-across – Bad place, bad moods : SODOM

21-across – Children replacing head of smoked fish with head of narwhal : NIPPERS

23-across – Epitaph and finale containing note came to fruition : RIPENED

25-across – Smoother youngster initially providing cajolement : FLATTERY

26-across – Koalas strangely left out somewhere in Japan : OSAKA

27-across – Respite from rabidly preaching beast : BREATHINGSPACE

1-down – Warning – pie is strangely sublime : AWEINSPIRING

2-down – Desire secret right away : COVET

3-down – Throw off scent of cider dispersed in vapour : MISDIRECT

4-down – Talk about going into passage for dish : LASAGNE

5-down – Second method of fellow becoming braggart : SHOWOFF

6-down – Measure of time in lake : METRE

7-down – Mice, say, in revolting study? It doesn’t matter : NEVERMIND

10-down – Bury referee is at half way point : INTERMEDIATE

14-down – Hated posh polar pun getting revised : UNPOPULAR

16-down – Returning second bobbins, sewers might replace these : CESSPOOLS

18-down – Implore leaders of scouting expedition to enter wood : BESEECH

19-down – Organ left by rear of vestry working before much time passes : EARLYON

22-down – Former lover with skill upset auxiliary : EXTRA

24-down – Antelope found in colony alarmingly : NYALA

1-across – Gravelly area in bay? : HOARSE

4-across – Much was right, leaders conceded : ASIGHT

9-across – Apprentice in utility room : TYRO

10-across – Cheating wanton finally repented at leisure : ADULTERIES

11-across – Sherlock nicked sawn-off weapon : PISTOL

12-across – Solidarity among rogues escaping justice : IMPUNITY

13-across – Background checks lead to mortifying retreat : HERMITAGE

15-across – Doctor accepts one’s a fetishist : GIMP

16-across – Sanctimony about holy books : CANT

17-across – Wasted talent is a torment : TANTALISE

21-across – Shambolic friends making comeback with panache : SLAPDASH

22-across – Reportedly drank case of amber liquid : NECTAR

24-across – Cryptic clue ending in gratification : INDULGENCE

25-across – Regularly spurned, turned to scotch : UNDO

26-across – Disheartened, docile wimps returned drunk : STEWED

27-across – Shy setter’s son lying about character : SYMBOL

1-down – Spooner’s vastly superior crackers : HAYWIRE

2-down – Current Head of Accounts loves paper clips : AFOOT

3-down – Aspiring actress beginning to grasp essential elements of talent : STARLET

5-down – Traps extremely sportive sheep : SETUPS

6-down – Ale during broadcast of part of speech : GERUNDIAL

7-down – Harry Potter inhaling drug in plane, perhaps at height : TREETOP

8-down – Hypothetical computer resolved haunting crime : TURINGMACHINE

14-down – Workers work with American and enjoy the change : MENOPAUSE

16-down – Roman’s first day in California draws to a close : CALENDS

18-down – Overwhelmed by strain, queen hides here : TANNERY

19-down – Wrongdoing of rising stable worker under scrutiny : SCANDAL

20-down – Ravel knocking back the Spanish fly : TANGLE

23-down – Slice of exotic rum baba for Whit : CRUMB

9-across – Rod’s rude attention-seeker : POKER

10-across – Sally crosses stage, as a form of casting : SORTILEGE

11-across – Heading action needed by the one in possession? : TITLEDEED

12-across – Recruit turned Lone Ranger’s head : ENROL

13-across – African republic imprisons a church prophet : MALACHI

15-across – Guardian pursuing lost sheep arrives at old city : EPHESUS

17-across – US city’s on about ‘optical device’ : LASER

18-across – Briefly against disposing of a machine separating fibre : GIN

20-across – Oscar winner’s debut lied about? : WILDE

22-across – Right to leave a free-for-all sale : AUCTION

25-across – Pressure one’s briefly put at centre of ancient monument : PYRAMID

26-across – Liverpudlian ejecting college drunkard : SOUSE

27-across – Sparkler? Patience! : SOLITAIRE

30-across – Drama about oil spill trapping large protected mammal : ARMADILLO

31-across – Beloved pasta sauce’s back : SUGAR

1-down – Ends up as Chesil Beach, say : SPIT

2-down – Burlesque? Let’s change game : SKITTLES

3-down – Charge round roof entrance on the house : FREE

4-down – Conducting upbeat intro with female band : USHERING

5-down – Join lamb’s rump and hog’s back : BRIDGE

6-down – Ex-president one almost wishes would get thrashed in early Republican primaries : EISENHOWER

7-down – Tries to take in top of tight suit : HEARTS

8-down – Sounds like market in which to spend time : CELL

13-down – Spirit associated with a Mediterranean island : MALTA

14-down – Dynamic recording has a number of errors to be fixed : CORRIGENDA

16-down – Sun made water race : SPEED

19-down – Kip has ball with Trotsky, military commander : NAPOLEON

21-down – Doctor mingles with male unthinking followers : LEMMINGS

23-down – Cold drink? Well, that’s pretty bad : CRUMMY

24-down – Finest leasehold houses to be in sheltered position : NESTLE

26-down – I have an exact match for that photo : SNAP

28-down – Silly talk needs to be quiet : TOSH

29-down – Pound, the last to be deposited in time : EZRA