Friday 27 March

Across

8 Painstaking papers back essentially glib man (8) 9 Badenoch reveals strain – of iron? (5) 10 Stable houses setter – was one lost? (4) 11 Regarding those unidentified, technology goes too far (8,2) 12 Savages live, pasts quietly forgotten (6) 14 Video game reversed practice: that’s not right (8) 16 Drugs cost (including recipe) negotiable for gigolos (7) 18 Excuses politician embraced by alien in sex romp (7) 21 Otherwise show one mercy in service (8) 23 Revelling used to put out (6) 24 Football seen around half ten, with commentary for audience (5-1-4) 27/26 Pool party after nude hen night not new (5-4) 28 More graceful win; limper member abandoned (8)

Down

1 Refs abused after boy band’s sporting feats (4-4) 3 A couple short of a dozen legs – and joints? (6) 4 Burns fumes about cigar’s end (7) 6 Special few a part of ménages à trois? (10) 7 Scratching surface of dark side in barrel (6) 13 Here solstice worshipping teens go wild, gobbling bird (10) 15/2 Golden age – at end of festivities? (7) 17/26 These world leaders on Russian river? It’s … it’s worth little in America (3,4) 19 Settlers erected timber frames (8) 20 Confused? Yes – call in dope dispenser (7) 22/5 England collapse over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over (10) 23 ‘Aussie’ (not American) nightwear (6) 25 Affected Reform UK, say, with head removed (4)