No 13225, Monday 19 Apr 2021, Arden

Solution to 25A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS

1   British church takes one in their arm (6) BRANCH {BR}{AN}{CH}

4   Summon from top to bottom, King gives green signal (3-5) ALL-CLEAR {(-c)ALL(+c)C}{LEAR}

10 Sister to gut the fish? Strange dilemma (9)  CONUNDRUM {CO{NUN}D}{RUM}

11 Personally returned some of them, that’s plain (5) LLANO [T<=]

12 Cruel? Take him out, simple! (7) ARTLESS heARTLESS

13 Brood on — is trailing behind in time (7) AGONISE {AG{ON}{IS}E}

14 A counter for skirt? (5) AVOID {A}{VOID}

15 Mere waste — housing scheme for the company, perhaps (8) EMPLOYER {EM{PLOY}ER*}

18 Soldiers in retreat? No, Sir ragtag army is (8) GARRISON [T<=]

20 Brief stay in Battersea (5) TERSE [T]

23 Maybe real cool to cover up a congenital defect (7) HARELIP {H{REAL*}IP}

25 A keen observer finds a small group on stage (7) T?E?C?L (Addendum - TIERCEL {TIER}{CELl} - See comments)

26 Dog takes one over a forest (5) TAIGA {TA{1}G}{A}

27 We use solver to solve (9) OURSELVES*

28 Terminate insects after pressure drops (8) PENDANTS {END}{ANTS}<=>{P}

29 Loved supplement impregnated with mineral (6) ADORED {AD{ORE}D}

DOWN

1   One in the capital finds refuge in empty basement — it’s a gamble (8) BACCARAT {ACC{A}RA} in {Ba...nT}

2   Food colouring — girl to accept first time (7) ANNATTO {ANNA}{T{Time}O}

3   No objection certificate raised by Bill’s candidate (9) CONTENDER {NOC<=}{TENDER}

5   Turn up and crumble — a Doctor will do this procedure (6,8) LUMBAR PUNCTURE {TURN+UP+CRUMBLE+A}*

6   Instrument battery is old (5) CELLO {CELL}{O}

7   Woman without travel papers picked up, not answering questions (7) EVASIVE {EV{VISA<=}E}

8   Crowds placed right in front of a Greek Island (6) RHODES (+r)RHO(-r)DES

9   One gets cooked — terrible loss perturbs us (8,6) BRUSSELS SPROUT*

16 On Scotch bottles they are recuperating (2,3,4) ON THE MEND {ON}{THEM}{END}

17 Encashed money by upwardly mobile NRI (8) REALISED {REAL}{DESI<=}

19 Prosecute criminal again for grabbing rights (7) ARRAIGN {A{RR}AIGN*}

21 Get well on top (7) RECOVER {RE}{COVER}

22 To push off, one’s gone through the roof (4,2) SHOT UP*

24 Central plan has to be introduced in the capital (5) LHASA {pL{HAS}An}

Reference List

Btitish = BR, Church = CH, Pressure = P, Old = O, Right = R