Cryptic crossword - The Scotsman 24/05/13

ACROSS

1 Support place in Parliament for this driver who probably ... (4,4)

5 ... gave strangled cry when gas pedal got stuck! (6)

10 Power on in case of most abundant (7)

11 Small image covering final synthetic material (7)

12 One who has regrets after time is more faithful (5)

13 African bird becomes personal assistant to ... (9)

14 ... consultant, perhaps, mistakenly claimed as diver (7,7)

17 Previously unknown in appropriate moment to be correct at initial attempt (5,5,4)

21 Be more than exposed with arithmetic (9)

23 Priest endlessly burns (5)

24 What diabetics want is offensive: Townswomen’s Guild walks out (7)

25 Where a cat might get stuck, panicking (2,1,4)

26 It’s sin to organize protests (3-3)

27 Sees pour out embossing metal (8)

DOWN

1 Crows are black on top of drying kilns (6)

2 Scale up operation for moon landing craft (7)

3 Spent about an arm and an eye, they say, (not a leg) on flavouring (9)

4 Could group who don’t like standing still wear this for insulation from electrical equipment? (4-6,4)

6 Decrease what sailor had for lunch? (5)

7 Miner’s skill that 13 should be familiar with (7)

8 Cut off nearly a metre at Rosyth, for example (8)

9 Volunteer commandos in particular mass (7,7)

15 Animal doctor to train unexpectedly with old painter (9)

16 Religious houses have what’s important without it (8)

18 Finds piece to complete collection when prepares (4,3)

19 Communication devices which may be dead when very far apart (7)

20 Flower child makes joint with very good drug (6)

22 Hun milling round the French and Polish cavalry (5)

Thursday’s solution

Across: 7 Stalk, 8 Hesitated, 10 Create, 11 Pretends, 12 Flounder, 13 Acts, 15 Essence, 17 Militia, 20 Over, 22 Offences, 25 Standard, 26 Anchor, 27 Rebellion, 28 Snare.

Down: 1 Sterilise, 2 Pleasure, 3 Seaport, 4 Literati, 5 Lament, 6 Ready, 9 Lend, 14 Sideboard, 16 Curtails, 18 Innocent, 19 Holds on, 21 Venues, 23 Flat, 24 Steel.