The Guardian – Cryptic crossword No 27,504 – May 8 2018

Clues	Answers
A party in difficulty	ADO
Aims of criminal joining Italy’s No 1 illegal gang	MAFIOSI
Body in vehicle — something for police to investigate?	CARCASE
Boxer went down, with time running out	ALI
Clown organised teachers — fair target?	COCONUT
Disciple following evangelist, a man of many words	JOHNSON
Excellent worker — I’ll get stuck in, resisting authority	DEFIANT
Getting new gear? Sports official has it	REFIT
Hills not unusually having bird sounds around	QUANTOCKS
Incident is placed on record — lines of celebration?	EPISODE
Little women, never disheartened, about to begin again	RENEW
Maiden featured in special birthday poem	DITHYRAMB
Naughty act of sexpot, seen retrospectively	EXPOSTFACTO
Non-patriots in revolt — being negative, they are charged	ANTIPROTONS
Old friends taking care of modern miss, including minister	COMPADRES
Plump and old, needing exercise?	OPT

Clues	Answers
Revolutionary member of Eastern religion eating loaf	JACOBIN
Reward soldiers fairly	REQUITE
Rod deceased, having swallowed yellow chemical	PERCHLORATE
Rubbish blocking entrance — nasty bit of wire?	GAROTTE
Senior officer taking academic stream in philosopher William’s place	OCCAM
Simplicity I have found in nature, abandoning old city	NAIVETE
Skipper goes round southern island missing bit of ship’s apparatus	CAPSTAN
Small stone housed in French gallery — essential item for visitor	MUSTSEE
Spiritualists giving phoney answer	SHAMANS
State number being brought to head, having taken drug repeatedly	TENNESSEE
Submarine group very hot	SEARING
Surprise article, something you may get lost in ?	AMAZE
Theologian enthralled by church organ in Somerset village	CHEDDAR
Throw husband out — ancient fellow whose wife has cheated	CUCKOLD
Tree in river, weak top to bottom	YEW
Trees found by prince in a foreign country	PHILIPPINES