The Sunday Crossword No 2985, Sunday 04 Mar 2018

ACROSS
1   Artillery in middle of sustained signal (6) HERALD {HE{RA}LD}
4   Vehicle fuel not properly guarded (7) CAREFUL {CAR}{FUEL*}
9   Small cake, favourite one with number around end of buffet (5,4) PETIT FOUR {PET}{1}{b...eT}{FOUR}

10 Meeting in university breaking mould (5) FORUM {FOR{U}M}
11 Combine to go round in circuit (4) LOOP<=
12 Delayed reaction appropriate after image (6,4) DOUBLE TAKE {DOUBLE} {TAKE}
14 Nun at sea? Prude, awfully old-fashioned (13) SUPERANNUATED*
16 Vessel, great success, bearing north ahead of one with power and skill (13) CRAFTSMANSHIP {CRAFT}{SMA{N}SH}{1}{P}
20 Be deceitful, getting into a state, causing estrangement (10) ALIENATION {A}{LIE}{NATION}
21 Stake in card game opponent declared (4) ANTE (~anti)
23 Singer back in style led appeal (5) ADELE [T<=]

24 Less wide ground behind energy plant (9) EDELWEISS {E}{LESS+WIDE}*

25 Doctor sure about name linked to singular lack of moisture (7) DRYNESS {DR}{Y{N}ES}{S}
26 Church official against endless remorse in retirement (6) VERGER {V}{REGREt}

DOWN
1   Impossible exercises in pits with sulphur (8) HOPELESS {HO{PE}LES}{S}
2   Excited over spicy letter with consideration of past events (15) RETROSPECTIVELY*
3   Former illustration in book with page missing (4) LATE pLATE
4   Deer united below a ridge in Colorado (7) CARIBOU {C{A}{RIB}O}{U}

5   Expressing resistance, choosing to restrict force (10) REFLECTING {R}{E{F}LECTING}
6   Progressive, cross, embracing conflict with weak monarch (7-8) FORWARD-THINKING {FOR{WAR}D} {THIN}{KING}
7   Move awkwardly stored furniture (6) LUMBER [DD]
8   Expression of surprise, taken in by fraud in case (6) COCOON {CO{COO}N}
13 Relative cheers up over first couple of nights in country (5-5) GREAT-NIECE {GRE{TA<=}-{NIghts}ECE}
15 Look outside state's borders for conciliator (8) APPEASER {APPEA{StatE}R}
17 Shreds potatoes, consuming time (7) TATTERS {TAT{T}ERS}
18 Low revolutionary tied up (6) MOORED {MOO}{RED}
19 Difficult to grasp a variable risk (6) HAZARD {H{A}{Z}ARD}
22 Mawkish material lacking depth (4) TWEE TWEEd

GRID