CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

Across

1 Artist, extremely reclusive,

seldom seen (4)

3 Record an album and leave?

(4,6)

9 Intensive publicity could get

one over-excited, no end (4)

10 Habitually serious type, West

Indies cricketer carrying team

(10)

11 Porter collecting mail for

preacher (7)

13 Bomb English knight planted

in station (7)

14 Spy that's centre stage,

strangely (6,5)

18 Bound to get on diving

platform (11)

21 Current examination

involving married male is

unethical (7)

22 Secret spilled about opening

of Phantom and Ghost? (7)

23 Perhaps an orrery some

called weird (5,5)

24 A head of state entering

church in a suit (4)

25 In a vulnerable position

abroad regarding a member

(3,2,1,4)

26 Perfect sweet to suck? (4)

Down

1 Practise tries again close to

line (8)

2 Rebuke for getting within

range (8)

4 Pay for some treat on

expenses (5)

5 Standard always set on

putting area (9)

6 Fairly well-to-do peers

working on Conservative board

(11)

7 Fishing dispute: a crowd

assembled (3,3)

8 Nun is over, back briefly (6)

12 One able to deal with a

service? (4,7)

15 One had, changing oil for pal

(5,4)

16 Smoked beef I topped with

old butter (8)

17 Sticking with that woman

during a depression (8)

19 Disaster in Formula One

when company goes under (6)

20 Impression made by

politician blocking one piece of

legislation (6)

22 Power demonstrated by

singular crew (5)

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION

Across: 1 Upraised, 6 Saucer, 9

Daring, 10 Partisan, 11

Reusable, 12 Poodle, 13

House-warming, 16

Fainthearted, 19 Chaste, 21

Lipstick, 23 & 24 Dreaming

spires, 25 Cement, 26 Omitting

Down: 2 Player, 3 Amiss, 4

Sagebrush, 5 Deplete, 6 Scrap, 7

Uninformed, 8 Enabling, 13

Handshake, 14 Antipasti, 15 War

horse, 17 Allegro, 18 Screen, 20

Edict, 22 Taint

GTelegraph Group Limited, London