1-across – Greek character’s collared by drunk philosopher : SOPHIST

5-across – One’s involved in backing country’s diet : REGIMEN

9-across – Day daughter omitted to follow Latin primate? : LORIS

10-across – Excellent T-shirt on fellow at fair? : TOPFLIGHT

11-across – Relish being shut off in Amiens, surprisingly : ENTHUSIASM

12-across – Be annoying, when a good chap abandons dog : MIFF

14-across – Gossip needs time to enter name and two temporary initials in account : TITTLETATTLE

18-across – Exhausted and is taken aback by ‘5’ in part of crossword that’s comprehensive : ALLINCLUSIVE

21-across – Sack author who’s ditched two leading characters : OUST

22-across – Fancy gemstone inlaid with an exotic fruit : MANGOSTEEN

25-across – Report: ‘Former political organisation is on rocks’ : EXPLOSION

26-across – Move made by bird that’s lost its independence : BUDGE

27-across – Herb carries, ultimately, the can for VIP’s team? : RETINUE

28-across – Part of group, including FBI agents : SEGMENT

1-down – One who soothes a charger : SALVER

2-down – Do to keep one’s equivalence : PARITY

3-down – Totally unconcerned at home, with a very small amount of money, not able to include one : INSOUCIANT

4-down – Orchestral passage — dear me, it’s over! : TUTTI

5-down – Espresso’s lousy — take it back! : REPOSSESS

6-down – What greedy consumers do about Cork County : GULP

7-down – Artist from China, imbued with strength of character : MAGRITTE

8-down – Informant? I dispute that with raging fire! : NOTIFIER

13-down – Gather electronic device is a pest : HARVESTBUG

15-down – Full of gas, it goes up in nasty vat leak : TALKATIVE

16-down – One bent on disrupting airline’s return route somehow? : SABOTEUR

17-down – Top shelf made suitable for high living? : FLESHPOT

19-down – Spur found to Cleopatra’s right? : NEEDLE

20-down – Most outstanding head moves down, as pests do : INFEST

23-down – John gains name on the inside : GENTS

24-down – See 6 : DOWN

8-across – Letters from first eleven taken wrongly : HIJACKED

9-across – Unyielding in charge, like the Screwtape Letters? : IRONIC

10-across – Nymph’s letter for the radio : ECHO

11-across – Leaders in the Economist repeated, repeated within as paired discussions : TETEATETES

12-across – Hustle confused seeker of purloined letter, for example : SLEUTH

14-across – Open University letter, moving right to left, that gives better options : ROULETTE

15-across – Submit page on Oscar in ordinary language : PROPOSE

17-across – Letters rewritten for newcomer : SETTLER

20-across – Our object, discarding hearts and starting with clubs, is trying to win hand : COURTING

22-across – Ministerial assistant’s uniform in box : CURATE

23-across – Dave, having misplaced vowels, said to be very upset : DEVASTATED

24-across – Letter’s demand producing tear : RENT

25-across – Car model’s sound — G, J, P or R, initially : BEATLE

26-across – It scores at least 14 in itself : SCRABBLE

1-down – Like letter in Dombey and Son that a lot of people get : CIRCULAR

2-down – A couple of letters said to deliver final blow : KAYO

3-down – Outline of character, say, son inscribed on boat : SKETCH

4-down – Recipients of letters I sorted wrongly : EDITORS

5-down – Section of literature replaced by one letter that links two of them : LIGATURE

6-down – Something warm that may be used to press a suit : LOVELETTER

7-down – Is uplifting part of Christian year, like parts of hymn and psalm : SILENT

13-down – Like parts of eg UK, over time, for ruling class : UPPERCASTE

16-down – Spell of work on island that makes capital : SHIFTKEY

18-down – Snarl from figure in world of magic not opening letter : ENTANGLE

19-down – Person overusing one vowel — so get it changed : EGOTIST

21-down – Dish included in some letters, as Americans serve it : OMELET

22-down – They work on transforming characters, reforming credos : CODERS

24-down – Are you followed by bee and why? It’s said to make you red : RUBY

1-across – Not interfering with workers on holiday : HANDSOFF

5-across – Releases clutch? Van on ‘give way’ reverses into sign : LETSGO

9-across – Fixing our price for dealer : CROUPIER

10-across – Bottom line for tailor : PROFIT

12-across – Tree is more healthy with its first cut : OSIER

13-across – See! Mary Poppins essentially to get flying across Britain carrying one? : CARPETBAG

14-across – eg Elaine Paige initially off with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber? : YELLOWGARDEN

18-across – Fan might get this seat in Stoke City’s original ground : SEASONTICKET

21-across – Bush, First Lady and Republican, meeting young : EVERGREEN

23-across – Pass a house that’s a state : IDAHO

24-across – See 14 : SPIDER

25-across – Put out fire with rake? That’s more unusual : FREAKIER

26-across – Drug injected in hand on joint : REEFER

27-across – Stunning men after love involved in affair : FLOORING

1-down – Hard area, not primarily for bully : HECTOR

2-down – Secluded retreat on border for incredible sex : NOOKIE

3-down – One might fly US pro here to play : SUPERHERO

4-down – What Macron might sign for protection? : FRENCHLETTER

6-down – Run to the first hole to secure eagle there? : EYRIE

7-down – Sun journalists covering over great lie on these pieces? : SOFABEDS

8-down – Calls to limit working after reviewing company figures : OCTAGONS

11-down – Kettle for this? Press on button : CROWDCONTROL

15-down – Idle one round after morning coffee : AMERICANO

16-down – One checks dipstick to get type of oil right : ASSESSOR

17-down – Serve here and support family : BASELINE

19-down – Up for dawn on island, here? : TAHITI

20-down – Date wears dress for Tramp : TOERAG

22-down – Downed one German beer when drunk : GREBE

8-across – Move like snake towards bottom, slow and stop : WINDDOWN

9-across – Quickly put together ladder to place above : RUNUP

10-across – They replaced little piles of sand in river : TEES

11-across – Motivation seen in mother after winter : MAINSPRING

12-across – How to get an anagram, of course : SOURCE

14-across – Connoisseurs who consume timeless movies online? : EPICURES

15-across – Delivered letter indicating possession — sign in colour : RESCUED

17-across – Stereotypical heavy drinkers creating trouble or breaking vessel : SAILORS

20-across – Pester with an Asian drink, Japanese port : NAGASAKI

22-across – Missing female, shed a tear outside, showing passion : ARDENT

23-across – It controls amount of moisture I mixed with mud, that is : HUMIDISTAT

24-across – One of the two letters one should mind by bad and nasty person : PILL

25-across – Literary lion using a non-standard lexicon, mostly : ASLAN

26-across – Getting over the hill? It’s about taking it easy : CRESTING

1-down – Guide old lady around hazard on road : CICERONE

2-down – First part of African capital one’s withdrawn, notes as well : ADDS

3-down – O’ Mice and Men, initially composed as left-wing : COMMIE

4-down – Stimulate new learner I put in uniform : ENLIVEN

5-down – Leading part and another taken from actress — I’d a female title role : CRESSIDA

6-down – Sorted out blunder without anxiety : UNTROUBLED

7-down – Soak or wash, in a way : SPONGE

13-down – With solid support, a kid’s father makes music : ROCKABILLY

16-down – Don’t blow up things with charges — they could help one get away : EVASIONS

18-down – Vexatious order crossing line : RANKLING

19-down – Use special scissors covering slit up in piece of decorative needlework : PINTUCK

21-down – Desert animal a couple raised in modern times : AOUDAD

22-down – Post-war leader emerging from battle energised : ATTLEE

24-down – Boxers, for example, swap some neat jabs — just the finalists : PETS

1-across – Impale this one drunk outside pub — wicked! : MEPHISTOPHELIAN

9-across – Could be some bucks around rebel golf tour — make it happen : DELIVER

10-across – Took flight, like Batman on drugs : ESCAPED

11-across – Left switch to chance : LOT

12-across – Not working — line about entertaining low comedy practitioner : DUDLEYMOORE

13-across – I’m working, love, not in a mood : IMPERATIVE

15-across – Prince Harry defending wife finally put right : HEAL

18-across – One sat with former PM’s counterpart : EXAM

20-across – Not pleasant but feuding is settled without force : UNEDIFYING

23-across – Setting by Vlad in essence awfully boring : MISEENSCENE

25-across – Greeting West ignored for another : AVE

26-across – Drink mother’s ruin occasionally out of can : MARTINI

27-across – Very much affected, banker accepted drink in celebration : SHAMPOO

28-across – Homeless patient cooking food : SPANISHOMELETTE

1-down – Male singer popular with English girl : MADELEINE

2-down – Mike with best friend’s first computer : PALMTOP

3-down – Unwelcome visitors wearing big boots : INVADERS

4-down – Attempted to pull one up, getting knackered : TIRED

5-down – Maintained parking’s booked : PRESERVED

6-down – With no money, people affected set up temporary quarters : ENCAMP

7-down – Copper’s introduction to syndicate ultimately causing collapse : IMPLODE

8-down – Reminder for one horse to be mounted : NUDGE

14-down – French address above 1960s’ US band member and composer : TUNESMITH

16-down – Support until now a reason for dismissal : LEGBEFORE

17-down – Ultimately, one fellow leaves when winter comes in New York? : AFTERALL

19-down – Chambers describing one country and another : AUSTRIA

21-down – Having problem cooking, son admitted? : INASPOT

22-down – Joe hiding artist’s sign : GEMINI

23-down – Complaint raised problem about Liz previously, who didn’t 9 : MUMPS

24-down – Be unhappy about eating second course : EPSOM