Independent Cryptic #1646

2021-09-12

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Across

1a

Zombie family member's backing off, clutching something red (9)

6a

Fed up with education after exam (5)

9a

Appropriate to wake between 3 and 5 in afternoon (7)

10a

Put off touching vegan food (7)

11a

Packing items of PPE, they'll help deliver jabs (6,6)

14a

Smooth operator taking one in - I'll find belief in odd places (9)

16a

Part of supermarket beer is stocked (5)

17a

Sharper knife's lost one time (5)

18a

Short position with private knowledge, obtaining debt pledges - sneaky! (9)

19a

Take on role of a Birmingham criminal, perhaps, and perform brilliantly (4,1,7)

23a

Old empress abandoning zither's beginning another instrument (7)

24a

Tea will put a smile on feelings of vexation (7)

25a

Fed's letter intercepted by another (5)

26a

Falls in river with utmost style (9)

Down

1d

One opposed to having colonist on top of column (4)

2d

Archaic word for U K (4)

3d

Large study of participation in church services? (4,11)

4d

Bones of sailors on bottom of Mississippi (5)

5d

No herons _____ to be seen? Never mind (2,7)

6d

Being flexible with worker lacking aspiration, cut workforce down - that'll regulate prices (6,3,6)

7d

Set of novelties I flogged (10)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Bandage ear, say, knowing what to put on (5,5)

12d

A copper's arranged to take place as star investigator? (5,5)

13d

Sex coming up in wedding photos perhaps results in fighting between partners? (7,3)

15d

Inspired Messiah? Not him, sick inside and tense (9)

20d

Specialised market in organic hemp (5)

21d

Press cull removing head (4)

22d

Nose endlessly runs with it (4)