| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | FORECAST | |
| Prophecy supporting a sect experiencing conversion (8) | FOR + anagram of A SECT | |
| 5 | GROTTO | |
| Source of glow-worms possibly reached crossing river (6) | GOT TO outside R | |
| 10 | SECOND-IN-COMMAND | |
| Deputy condemns nomadic wandering (6-2-7) | Anagram of CONDEMNS NOMADIC | |
| 11 | SEPARATION | |
| Split peas spoiled a small amount of food (10) | Anagram of PEAS + RATION | |
| 12 | MESA | |
| Entries in scheme’s actuarial table (4) | scheMES Actuarial | |
| 14 | SURGED | |
| Cocktail of drugs containing ecstasy caused a rush (6) | Anagram of DRUGS outside E | |
| 15 | SEEDBED | |
| See head of newspaper about database environment that’s needed for development (7) | (SEE + ED) outside DB | |
| 18 | SCEPTIC | |
| Scoffer’s cold contracted by pussy (7) | C inside SEPTIC | |
| 20 | TWENTY | |
| Run of Cabaret went years – quite a few (6) | cabareT WENT Years | |
| 21 | ACES | |
| Flying war heroes, a short time back (4) | A + (SEC reversed) | |
| 23 | OPERATIONS | |
| A surgical team works on these alternatives, taking time into account (10) | OPTIONS outside ERA | |
| 26 | AMBULANCE CHASER | |
| Cuban male mixed drink for lawyer looking for work (9,6) | Anagram of CUBAN MALE + CHASER | |
| 27 | ERRAND | |
| Make a mistake with joiner’s commission (6) | ERR + AND | |
| 28 | FLAT SPIN | |
| Confused state fellow connected with changing of last access code (4,4) | F + anagram of LAST + PIN | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | FISTS | |
| One’s restricted by small feet and small rounded hands (5) | IS inside FT + S | |
| 2 | RECAPTURE | |
| Care arranged time in sterile recovery (9) | Anagram of CARE + (T inside PURE) | |
| 3 | CONGREGATE | |
| Kid, for example, brought in to annoy rally (10) | CON + (EG inside GRATE) | |
| 4 | STILTED | |
| Wooden pole put on an angle (7) | S + TILTED | |
| 6 | RAMS | |
| Sheep hit hard by start to spring (4) | RAM + (S)pring | |
| 7 | TEASE | |
| Wind up when in a part of a golf course (5) | AS inside TEE | |
| 8 | OLD HANDS | |
| Experienced workers sprayed hold as well as bow of ship (3,5) | Anagram of HOLD + AND + (S)hip | |
| 9 | ACTORS | |
| They play parts or part described in extract or script (6) | extrACT OR Script | |
| 13 | DESERT CHAT | |
| Leave small potato for gibber bird (6,4) | DESERT + CHAT | |
| 16 | BOTTOMS UP | |
| Saying raised in pubs all over the place! (7,2) | MOTTO reversed inside anagram of PUBS | |
| 17 | ESCALADE | |
| Mount extraordinary case against lad with drugs (8) | Anagram of CASE + LAD + E | |
| 19 | COPING | |
| Managing brickie’s top course (6) | Double Definition | |
| 20 | TARSEAL | |
| Temperature associated with a laser affected surface (7) | T + anagram of A LASER | |
| 22 | EMBER | |
| Five of them berated old flame (5) | thEM BERated | |
| 24 | SIREN | |
| Father now at the front is a charmer (5) | SIRE + (N)ow | |
| 25 | PLAN | |
| Flyer detailed a proposal? (4) | PLAN(e) |
