No 2699, Sunday 12 Aug 12

ACROSS
1   - Excellent English poet capturing hearts (8)  - CHAMPION {C{H}AMPION}
5   - Order to strike - caught leaving at top speed (3,3)  - ALL OUT cALL OUT
10 - Left river, in past, slowly (5)  - LARGO {L}{A{R}GO}
11 - Pleased, having stumped one former PM (9)  - GLADSTONE {GLAD}{ST}{ONE}
12 - Bird article written in pencil, unwisely (7)  - PELICAN {PELIC{A}N*}

13 - See crushed ice does (7)  - DIOCESE*
14 - Book different course, following Heath, perhaps (8,6)  - ROBINSON CRUSOE {ROBINSON} {COURSE*}
18 - Mixed up metal dealer with war poet (6,2,2,4)  - WALTER DE LA MARE*
20 - Theatre role about Kit Carson, for example (7)  - TRAPPER [DD]
23 - Shakespearean actor, one in musical (7)  - OLIVIER {OLIV{1}ER}
24 - Mean male, an intermediary (9)  - MIDDLEMAN {MIDDLE}{MAN}
25 - Old-fashioned old man penning note (5)  - DATED {DA{TE}D}
26 - Fish seen round mouth of river? It's a wonder (6)  - RARITY {RA{R}{IT}Y}
27 - See it run off, hungry (8)  - ESURIENT*
DOWN
1   - Check across a border for a religious leader (6)  - CALIPH {C{A}{LIP}H}
2   - Sadly I fall, poor hoax victim (5,4)  - APRIL FOOL*
3   - Exile for writer (9)  - PROSCRIBE {PRO}{SCRIBE}
4   - Imagine records involved the Mafia? (9,5)  - ORGANISED CRIME*
6   - Catch girl with nothing on (5)  - LASSO {LASS}{O}
7   - Ring precinct for gas (5)  - OZONE {O}{ZONE}
8   - Temperate? Not half, before daughter wavered (8)  - TEETERED {TEETotal}{ERE}{D}
9   - Main directions given by all the bridge players? (8,6)  - CARDINAL POINTS [DD]
15 - Jogger grabbing a rest (9)  - REMAINDER {REM{A}INDER}
16 - Struggle in Queer Street? This may give you some protection (9)  - SERVIETTE {SER{VIE}TTE*}

17 - Pair watch for unfaithful type (3-5)  - TWO-TIMER {TWO}-{TIMER}
19 - Extremely clever to reword trust (6)  - CREDIT {CleveR}{EDIT}
21 - Run to avoid large snake (5)  - ADDER lADDER
22 - Guide the Italian aboard vessel (5) - PILOT {P{IL}OT}