CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Preventing synchronisation is giving people a shock (10)

7 See 12 Down

8 Charge-hand to engage too many employees (7)

10 One in charge of a private body gets near becoming distracted (8)

11 Act as judge in the arena (4) 13 Risked money but made no progress (6)

15 Leslie needs to interview the tenant (6)

17 A strange garden flower (4) 18 How vassals were employed in private conflict with confederate (8)

21 Get out of French coach! (7) 22 I love to change into this material (5)

23 They should consist of people who know the score (10)

DOWN

1 In the courts we are to do what witnesses must (5)

2 Dawn Rees somehow kept up the correspondence (8) 3 Powdered earth (6)

4 What will produce venison increased in price, we hear (4) 5 This figures as a scripture book (7)

6 Basic requirement for those who make chequered progress (10)

9 But they’re not chaps in charge of preschool institutions! (10)

12 & 7Ac Inverted way of falling in love! (4,4,5)

14 The kind of foil to strike while parrying (7)

16 Looks around at home for fishing nets (6)

19 Beastly places to lie (5) 20 Discovered by one who makes a spot-check (4)

Yesterday’s solutions: Across:

6 Leather. 7 Sewer. 9 Rat. 10 Companion. 12 Co-operative. 15 Absenteeism. 17 Jump suits. 19 Yea. 21 Stilt. 22 Remains. Down: 1 Cedar. 2 Ate. 3 Veto. 4 Means test. 5 Resolve. 8 Sparse. 11 Totem pole. 13 Puts up. 14 Abducts. 16 Feint. 18 Tree. 20 Way.