Across:
   1. Struggle across river in a state of terror! (6)
   5. Beaten down cereal around Ware is recultivated (8)
   9. Offering to assemble a tool bin (8)
  10. A French leader backs small groups (6)
  11. Unimpressed with elder when mud is flung about! (12)
  13. I abandon alibi in order to obtain release (4)
  14. No local, for example, gets in (8)
  17. Beast had year in top pub at beginning of April (8)
  18. Defeat corruption without upsetting leader (4)
  20. Did men row, and row madly, to see highlight of the house? (6 6)
  23. Some odd schemes produce hurts (6)
  24. New rack egghead designed for scarves (8)
  25. Flower to announce sad occasions? (8)
  26. Commenting on gays in disarray! (6)
Down:
   2. Raw uncooked breaded scampi starters produce strokes! (4)
   3. Over time, ex-scholar exchanges a note with friend (9)
   4. Editor’s faulty valve (6)
   5. Aggressive leader of the country captures bogus organisation (15)
   6. Bad time for nuts and seeds (8)
   7. Oddly we hail rule by spin! (5)
   8. Meet five in wild rude zones! (10)
  12. Strange standards captivate one (10)
  15. Worth changing one’s style in this sort of society (9)
  16. Game is over without the French (8)
  19. Amends about a hundred instructions (6)
  21. Insignificant force needed inside to join together (5)
  22. Special awning covers part of grassed area (4)