Daily Mail - Thurs

[Hussar]

Some help please with these:-
21 down Drops the answer to this problem in 24? 7 letters E-----E
25 across Dust blower is back with tiny volume in hopper 7 letters ----C-- 25 down Pass out whiskey. tucking in before long 5 letters ----M
26 across Immediately realise king's gone 3 letters N--
23 down Former officer commanding alien missile 6 letters E-----,

Thank you

[scorpiojo]

26 (K)now
23 Ex OC ET

[scorpiojo]

25d S W oon

[scorpiojo]

25 Sirocco (wind) - is, reversed + cc (volume) + Roo (hopper)

[jazzyjen]

21D earache

[scorpiojo]

What's the answer to 24, Hussar?

[retrocop]

Sirocco
Exocet
Now
Swoon

[Hussar]

Thank you scorpio and jazzyjen - and is 28 across OCCLUDE ?

[retrocop]

Cochlea is 24 for earache at 21

[scorpiojo]

What's the clue?

[retrocop]

Yes occlude to block

[retrocop]

Block something a bout colonel in cluedo
Somethink like that!

[Hussar]

Overlooked one when I thought I'd finished:-
7 down Spycatcher some distance into borders of Surrey 6 letters
I've got EMPLOy but cannot parse it at all.

Again, thanks

[retrocop]

smiley

[retrocop]

some distance=mile surrey=SY

[Hussar]

Thanks retro - but I still can't see that either!

[retrocop]

smiley was the character in John le'Carriere's book and a spycatcher.

[retrocop]

Just check that but I am sure the answer is smiley. :-0)

http://spyguysandgals.com/sgshowchar.aspx?id=697

[Hussar]

Yes, that explains it well - a very satisfactory conclusion and my thanks again retro.

[retrocop]

Always most welcome Hussar. :-)