Quick crossword - Scotland on Sunday 15/04/2012

ACROSS

1 Approach ladies and spread around back of hall (4,5)

8 Put off removing the chap from cleaning agent (5)

9 Ties up the rest, quite possibly (7)

11 Left with first-class return for a Shakespearean (6)

12 Estonian doesn’t start mixing with France and Germany? (7)

13 Banker lays nothing on Communist retreat (4)

14 Whip the creature (3)

17 Conservationists leave the function with a girl (3)

18 4 is endless, but that’s fine with the bird (4)

21 Private, for instance, is older in translation (7)

23 Howzat for a quiet sound of bells! (6)

24 Little chap has guns, but comes back for real, we’re told (7)

25 Resinous material used by the Spanish record company (5)

26 Like stories a lad once told, primarily, when travelling (9)

DOWN

2 A rope trick performed by singers and actors (5)

3 Doctor has a laugh at tax collectors with this material (6)

4 The girl almost got up (3)

5 Desmond is going out with Noel (7)

6 Height is right in astute construction (7)

7 Plough is substantial to carry (5,4)

10 Moved quickly towards the force and called (4)

12 Precious strings? Part of violin is left to the experts (9)

15 Leave on the rebound, keeping quiet, but in a tight spot (7)

16 Where to find 21s returning with a craze? (7)

19 After the male, reportedly (4)

20 Girl joins foreign 21 with love for musical direction (6)

22 Medical procedure, finishing with mean outcome? (5)

24 Take action stupidly, using Express leaders (3)

Last week’s solution

Across 3, Despotic. 8, Urdu. 9, Generation. 10, Vera. 11,

Riot. 13, Actor. 17, Caller. 18 & 25 Across, Keep at arm’s

length. 19, Trams. 22, Bari. 24, Stan. 25, See 18 Across.

26, Eire. 27, Donating. Down 1, Greek. 2 & 23 Down, Sugar

Plum Fairy. 4, Event. 5, Plaza. 6, Twist. 7, Concrete. 12,

Ogre. 14, Cherished. 15, Scotland. 16, Skua. 20. Amman.

21, Split. 22, Benin. 23, See 2 Down.