1-across – Before ultimate promotion in army time zone? : PRECINCT

5-across – Increased the pain to the ear’s capacity to accept : UPTAKE

9-across – Once arrogant aims to get guns dismantled : ASSUMING

10-across – Termly this flower girl comes out : MYRTLE

12-across – Exaggerate on the subject of time : OVERSTRETCH

15-across – Like someone sleeping with insurance agent in secret? : UNDER

17-across – Corrupt party with line that’s not simply black and white? : PAINTERLY

18-across – Pope’s non-human? : ERRORLESS

19-across – See 15 : COVER

20-across – Course is very large – what’s backed in the day’s races : CHEESEBOARD

24-across – Old and new forever requiring no reciprocal action : ONEWAY

25-across – Either of two early saints suiting a change : IGNATIUS

26-across – Had tea delivered!, as triumphant hoaxer shouts : GOTCHA

27-across – Naked king and queen, read in horoscope : STARKERS

1-down – First rather than last vowel in longer pitch expert : PIANOTUNER

2-down – Soap festivals aim to provide a break : EASTENDERS

3-down – Setter’s surgeon’s feet : IAMBS

4-down – Epergnes providing aim of grandmaster’s gambit? : CENTREPIECES

6-down – See 7 : PSYCHOTIC

7-down – One intoxicated by smart books used in combating mental disorders : ANTI

8-down – Service of just a trifle : EVEN

11-down – S-some love might be described thus : ATFIRSTSIGHT

13-down – Strip out of clothing – in case I decrease in importance : TRIVIALISE

14-down – Crosses alarm shy birdies : HYBRIDISES

16-down – Interpretation of material on paper makes Thatcher cross : RORSCHACH

21-down – PM accounting for British Rail’s ruin : BLAIR

22-down – See 8 : SONG

23-down – See 16 : TEST

9-across – Terrorists first and subsequently to get back … their own : RETALIATE

10-across – Jane’s tribe on stage, with A for Antony? : ASHER

11-across – Married with no children, not being licensed : SPLICED

12-across – A target set for aquatic event : REGATTA

13-across – Engineer’s spoken question? : WATT

14-across – Fellow sentinel keeps clubs for protection of train : COWCATCHER

16-across – Take course to be at ease : RECLINE

17-across – Wizard with access to standard return : GANDALF

19-across – Building cover for recession initiated during infatuation : PEBBLEDASH

22-across – A 0.3125 lb return from sea : AZOV

24-across – Oxymoronic region where letter has dash in it : ZEELAND

25-across – Extract from clay pit to be expected : TYPICAL

26-across – Was idle student introduced to Sunday’s 1? : LAZED

27-across – Disc containing extra drink for Bible translator in Yorkshire : COVERDALE

1-down – This is curious – odds on proud being involved in deception, not I : CROSSWORDPUZZLE

2-down – Wrong half of Hellas in Greek given to 23 : ATHLETIC

3-down – See 20 : BLOCK

4-down – Extremely insensitive heart under building? : HARDCORE

5-down – Iron wheel with new base : FERRIC

6-down – Decoration for building to get reduction on the exterior : PARGETING

7-down – Which church has cover? : THATCH

8-down – Compounding regal 4, flattery is our biggest fault : GREATRIFTVALLEY

15-down – Game, not a good one, among poets : BILLIARDS

17-down – Cooker for idiot to put in cooked vegetables : GASSTOVE

18-down – Unholy verse by the poet Lewis towards the end of April : ANZACDAY

20-down – Wind brake in building? : BREEZE

21-down – Gather from leader in European countries : DEDUCE

23-down – Not the 25 play? : SPORT

9-across – Funny Girl, where woman in film worried by prowler : CATHERINE

10-across – A doctor screening individual for the pest : APHID

11-across – Fashion starts to ease off using this gradual loss of sound : FADEOUT

12-across – Still quality in sovereign, relative overseas : INERTIA

13-across – Round hole not exactly round? : OVOID

14-across – Port’s staff open port with this? : CORKSCREW

16-across – See 20 : DISRESPECTINGME

19-across – All I acted out is in a peculiar language : DIALECTAL

21-across – Floral pattern designer’s heading off to find flower : ORRIS

22-across – Digital part that’s new put back in the end : TOENAIL

23-across – See 3 : THEPALE

24-across – Supernatural being finding power, finally, in ring : TROLL

25-across – See 7 : THANWHITE

1-down – With support for building gone up, damaged by heat externally : SCAFFOLDED

2-down – Thoughtful boss over the moon with us : STUDIOUS

3-down – Unacceptable, though 7 25? : BEYOND

4-down – A lot of money is sweet : MINT

5-down – Half-erased record, one supporting the state, given in return : RECIPROCAL

6-down – Skim the surface with a short, short, short nap : WATERSKI

7-down – Irreproachable, what with neither being corruptible : WHITER

8-down – Don’t start to disguise a plan : IDEA

14-down – Cave in a mine covered by copper no more : CAPITULATE

15-down – Any time now, he veers out of control : WHENSOEVER

17-down – Loudly, I pluck these from their sockets? : EYEBALLS

18-down – Idle, perhaps, about piece inferior to good number of languages : GERMANIC

20-down – 9 22 down’s query recognises rude type with Am I bovvered? : AREYOU

21-down – Passing exchange through radio network : ONETWO

22-down – See 9 : TATE

23-down – Mouth needing bit pulled up : TRAP

12-across – : VULTURE

13-across – How bulls express anger at charge for barge? : MOORAGE

14-across – Pullman’s greeting : HEAVE

15-across – Mothball vehicle in which speedo doesn’t register? : CAMPHOR

16-across – Intensifier of red : RUDDY

17-across – A series was first backed by a Sussex town : ARUNDEL

18-across – Physio etc directed towards setter in river : TREATMENT

19-across – : EGRET

22-across – : HERON

23-across – He said what another said about the Pope : QUOTHHE

25-across – Spitz has hulk done over : ELKHOUND

26-across – : IBIS

30-across – Developments for three : ESTATES

33-across – Cause of disease : GERMANOPHILIA

34-across – : ZEBRAPARAKEET

36-across – : REDPOLL

37-across – : LARK

38-across – : BARNACLE

40-across – : JACKDAW

43-across – Characteristic of the alphabet reported from Brideshead : FLYTE

45-across – Short time may be binding : SPELL

46-across – : PARTRIDGE

49-across – I can give new floor to newspaper in capital : LIFTMAN

51-across – Bit of a hill for Charles and Cromwell? : KNOLL

52-across – Partners keeping large beast in cattle shed? : SHIPPON

53-across – : OWLET

54-across – Sketch for departing train : OUTLINE

55-across – Figures of speech, for example, held back by single girl : IMAGERY

1-down – : AVOCET

2-down – Meat covered with iron and served with fire : FLAMBE

3-down – : NUTHATCH

4-down – Partner to ruff holding two of trumps – I have to recover : RETRIEVE

5-down – : UMBRETTE

6-down – : WOODPECKER

7-down – Service in the shade : NAVY

8-down – : XEMA

9-down – Introduction to concession with time for consideration : THOUGHT

10-down – : GANDER

11-down – : MERLIN

20-down – Read me to promote peace for South American diplomacy : RIOTACT

21-down – Bark at entrance to oven : TANDOOR

23-down – : QUETZAL

24-down – Future commander has right time : OCTOBER

27-down – County town with duke left for dead on Great North Road : BELFORD

28-down – : SWALLOW

29-down – Country saint that’s been punched : CHAD

31-down – : TEAL

32-down – Fish formed base for fool : SEABASS

33-down – Relative vagrant in range : GRANNIE

35-down – Visit in Rhodesia, part 2: a saxifrage : ESCALLONIA

39-down – Branch arrangement simpler without a friend coming in : ESPALIER

40-down – Scottish island’s just like that at an early age : JURASSIC

41-down – : CARDINAL

42-down – Hill dweller – call it Ecstasy : TERMITE

43-down – : FALCON

44-down – : YAFFLE

47-down – : DIPPER

48-down – Bored with tennis centre, turn into spectator : ENNUYE

50-down – Unauthorised recess? : NOOK

51-down – : KITE

1-across – Clothes are covered with no end of fruit : APPAREL

5-across – Back for a couple of drinks : SUPPORT

9-across – 16 sections : STRAP

10-across – Anxiously await arrest : APPREHEND

11-across – Chuck senior from tree? : ELDERBERRY

12-across – Dam with a cut in power : STEM

14-across – Bloke reduced travelling by bus : DOUBLEDECKER

18-across – One initially makes money admitting about chemical in sauce : IMPERTINENCE

21-across – Swim across river to get wet : DRIP

22-across – Taking on restrictions as retailer did at 6, perhaps? : CLOSEDSHOP

25-across – 5’s point is clear : VINDICATE

26-across – Integral part is flipping generous : LARGE

27-across – Name involved in retail banking : RELIANT

28-across – Irregular behaviour of creature having nothing for one year : ANOMALY

1-down – Complete directions for entering a right response : ANSWER

2-down – Take off staff’s wages as extraneous : PARODY

3-down – Whole range runs through to Ireland’s housing : REPERTOIRE

4-down – Agreement to let live with freedom from disturbance : LEASE

5-down – Take place of undressed kid eating cored pears : SUPERSEDE

6-down – Look to make a little noise anyway : PEEP

7-down – Pass clear water after losing head : OVERTAKE

8-down – It’s raised by country with nitrogen extracted from what the sea leaves : TIDEMARK

13-down – Pill-popping city slicker’s old foible : PECCADILLO

15-down – Sparkling fish with an admittedly desirable quality : BRILLIANT

16-down – Constrain by law to discard port : BINDOVER

17-down – Crude oil on tap is not compulsory : OPTIONAL

19-down – It’s tedious to deal with a complaint : CHOREA

20-down – Unseemly when chap’s bottom is held fast : SPEEDY

23-down – Female sailor set up ancient kingdom : SHEBA

24-down – Bread rises with a little help : PITA