| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | FLEABITE | |
| A piece secured by bolt is a slight inconvenience (8) | (A + BIT) inside FLEE | |
| 5 | BALLAD | |
| Everyone sitting tight during dreadful song (6) | ALL inside BAD | |
| 10 | RIGHT | |
| What authors do in speech appropriately (5) | Sounds like WRITE | |
| 11 | SALESROOM | |
| Vessel with cargo of alcohol returned to secure marketing area (9) | (ALE inside SS) + MOOR reversed | |
| 12 | FUNDAMENTALIST | |
| Strict, amusing lady, not heartless, people wanted for events? (14) | FUN + DAME + N(o)T + ALIST | |
| 14 | TOME | |
| It should be read as far as I’m concerned (4) | TO ME | |
| 15 | PARTY PIE | |
| One tucked into standard variety finger food (5,3) | I inside (PAR + TYPE) | |
| 18 | AIR | |
| Broadcast couple with no introduction (3) | (p)AIR | |
| 19 | EXCUSE ME | |
| Former copper missed initially in court’s apology (6,2) | EX + CU + [(M)issed inside SEE] | |
| 20 | ETON | |
| English school some compare to Newington (4) | comparE TO Newington | |
| 23 | IRREPROACHABLE | |
| Faultless Irish preacher Albo misinterpreted (14) | IR + anagram of PREACHER + ALBO | |
| 26 | PENALISED | |
| Is deal reviewed after writer is punished for breaking rules? (9) | Anagram of IS DEAL after PEN | |
| 27 | ||
| See 18-down | ||
| 28 | CHOOSE | |
| Pick out carbon ring wedged in flexible pipe (6) | C + (O inside HOSE) | |
| 29 | DEFENDED | |
| Justified government employee rolled over (8) | FED reversed + ENDED | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | FOREFATHER | |
| Predecessor of retired referee with a change of heart (10) | OF reversed + REF + anagram of HEART | |
| 2 | ERGONOMIC | |
| Move by number in organised crime designed to maximise efficiency (9) | (GO + NO) inside anagram of CRIME | |
| 3 | BATMAN | |
| Crime fighter is not far from bank with ATM installed (6) | (BAN)k outside ATM | |
| 4 | TOSSED | |
| Threw and kicked around empty sacks? (6) | TOED outside S(ack)S | |
| 6 | ABSOLUTE | |
| Complete slob found drunk inside a tradie’s vehicle (8) | Anagram of SLOB inside (A + UTE) | |
| 7 | LOOPS | |
| Turns bobbin around (5) | SPOOL reversed | |
| 8 | DOME | |
| Party men cut off head (4) | DO + (ME)n | |
| 9 | SLOT CAR | |
| Small racer’s fate sealed by the result of serious damage (4,3) | LOT inside SCAR | |
| 13 | REINVENTED | |
| Brake, exposed to air, is replaced with an entirely new version (10) | REIN + VENTED | |
| 15 | PIE | |
| Dish that is served after starter of prawns (3) | IE after (P)rawns | |
| 16 | PITA BREAD | |
| Food bill grabbed by private investigator in connection with study (4,5) | TAB inside (PI + READ) | |
| 17 | AS WELL AS | |
| No less than a grand donated by a school (2,4,2) | A + SWELL + A + S | |
| 18 | & 27-across AMBROSE EVENT | |
| & 27-across Observe men at revamped golf format (7,5) | & 27-across Anagram of OBSERVE MAN AT | |
| 21 | SADDLE | |
| Micro-organisms in the end spoil meat (6) | microorganism(S) + ADDLE | |
| 22 | CHEESE | |
| Chef mostly accepting view about dairy product (6) | (CHE)f outside (SEE reversed) | |
| 24 | RINGO | |
| He played drums with part of string orchestra (5) | stRING Orchestra | |
| 25 | EPIC | |
| Grand hotel not used by the police implicated in corruption (4) | Anagram of THE POLICE minus HOTEL |
