Wednesday 6 May

Across

8 Rock purveyor we will make rude noises about (8) 9 Sprinter in bar bent back to grasp nuts (1,4) 10 Scots knew England’s garden? (4) 11 Author as boxer, could one say – heavyweight (10) 12 Childish type, endlessly dim, breaking equipment (6) 14 Invite to relax and steal from church? (4,1,3) 15 Indistinct notice with garish border (7) 17 Slander, heartlessly audacious in itself (7) 20 Cathedral search resolved: it’s right in the centre (8) 22 God posed with big pot of tea (6) 23 Screen addict perhaps, one contorted with grimace (10) 24 Youngster spends year on benefit (4) 25 Suddenly discover hotel is losing pounds (3,2) 26 Short walk in once moving moonlit scene (8)

Down

1 One hard man, he was involved with Ezra initially (8) 2 Considered a soft fabric (4) 3 Dwelling on tense vote in favour (6) 4 Sad that Spain has invaded a foreign port (7) 5 They don’t make the film, dates having been switched (3-5) 6 What we are called in explosive competition (10) 7 Time goose should be cooked in foil (6) 13 Hunt neared ground, positioned for concealment? (10) 16 Distortion isn’t commonly cosmetic (3,5) 18 Aching to suppress German city university (8) 19 Stagger about, ‘run out’ replaced by ‘stumped’ (7) 21 The peak hour, dinner time? (6) 22 Uncompromising boss ultimately deceived on Radio 4 (6) 24 Start to bash away in contest (4)