| DEADEND | A cul de sac, or fruitless line of enquiry (4,3) |
| CLOSE | Whether referring to a cathedral precinct, a courtyard, a cul-de-sac or a tight relationship with a friend or a mutt, it's a word for "near, secure, shut" (5) |
| ONTHERIGHTTRACK | A Tory is following the correct line of enquiry (2,3,5,5) |
| LEEDS | Discussed lines of enquiry in city |
| VAIN | Another word for futile or fruitless |
| FOOLSERRAND | Silly or fruitless enterprise (5,6) |
| FROMPILLARTOPOST | From one place to another in an unceremonious or fruitless manner (4,6,2,4) |
| HEIGHHO | Cry of enquiry reaching Head Office as exclamation expressive of weariness (5-2) |
| VESICLE | Anatomy: small air-filled sac or cyst within the body (7) |
| ENDOFTHEROAD | Point of no return may be a wall in a cul-de-sac (3,2,3,4) |
| CIR | Part of a cul-de-sac address, maybe: Abbr. |
| EXEMPTS | Dismisses head of enquiry probing former politician turned good person (7) |
| ANNUALS | Start of enquiry into archives gets tougher (7) |
| ANNEALS | Start of enquiry into archives gets tougher (7) |
| MANATEE | Opening of enquiry after bloke dined on sea cow (7) |
| PARTIES | Corporate body running risk over start of enquiry - revealing these? (7) |
| PORKIES | Corporate body running risk over start of enquiry - revealing these? (7) |
| BLADDER | Membranous sac or football innard |
| LOKE | Dialect for a cul-de-sac, grassy track, private road, short narrow lane or other enclosed space (4) |
| STREET | Upsets setter possibly going down a cul-de-sac (6) |
