CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

No 16,935

ACROSS

1 Acid drop an item

in plot? (11) 9 Reported Gulf State’s

complaint (7) 10 Inuit, say, initially kept in

a Los Angeles hospital (7) 11 Row on air

occasionally (3) 12 Forbidding old duck

in takeaway? (7) 13 Learned eastern ceremony captures Judy’s heart (7) 14 Gangster dumps hot

vessel in harbour (3) 15 One’s beaten in

close race (5) 17 Heap praise on

former tax cut (5) 18 Patriarch is caught

overtaking drivers (5) 20 Pale moon appears

first from Midwest (5) 22 Support a driving

licence maybe (3) 24 Game theatrical actor rejected note during run (7) 25 Notices I’ve removed

from CID? (7) 26 Tint part of

beard yellow (3) 27 Fruit financier

cuts turnover (7) 28 Harry lies beside river

in spare time (7) 29 Rupert makes rickety products galore here (11)

DOWN

1 Frantic changes in habit around front in Margate in these once? (7,8) 2 Bring rum supply into work, creating mayhem (7) 3 Distinctive spirit of

those in trouble (5) 4 Crop Guardian’s short line with swapped letters (9) 5 After break in Brussels, Europeans saved person in danger (7) 6 Allow for Revenue showing keen interest in story? (4,4,7) 7 Approach a court

about businesses (6) 8 University lecturers accept new arrangement, feeling bad (6) 16 Handy opening words

go in broadcast (5,4) 18 Popular pal’s

patient perhaps (6) 19 Suffer defeat in

contest nearby (5,2) 21 What pedants do with IT quietly in prison (3-4) 23 Drive off, breaking speed limit, losing time surprisingly (6) 25 Greek character’s lawyer defends English officer (5)