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Thank you smartie. I was perplexed because I could not see how that fitted in with 43 across but I now realise why it is correct!

Meursault, I think that 42dn has more to it than meets the eye. Look at the number of letters shown for the answer! I don't think I'm missing the point.

Isn't 42d Bardot, going off the puzzle? The paper says it has 6 letters and I assumed it was part of the mess. I have 6 letters left and the phrase to work out etc so I might be on the wrong track. Hint for 31?

Rrrobbo - pop group (think 70's) surrounded by (boring) word for way - letter a is removed from away to give a witches' meeting. Hope this helps!

Rrrobbo, I think you may be missing the point! Nothing is outside the grid.

Making a knight's move from the appropriate cell in 43 leads me to the beginning of an eight letter word; a similar move from the cell in 11 leads to the end of a diagonal seven letter word. Is this just coincidence?

Thank you, Saoralba. I hadn't noticed the (6). I've still to see the significance of this, though I'm sure Notrab's observation is relevant to the work area and perpetrator...

Thanks Mersault. I also notice that reading from bottom to top and choosing a letter from each clash cell I can make dark brown. Another coincidence?

I'm pretty sure we are meant to put an exclamation mark in the Bardot cell but I don't see the warning it is meant to finish.

Again, Notrab, I think your observation is relevant, though I don't think the colour plays any further part in the solution. The warning combines the replaced letters in one column which leads to the start of the work area.

Dis, I think you are right, the exclamation point remains (the I is discarded) which means that 49a is no longer a real word or name. I suppose the end of the preamble is referring to this, in an unwieldy kind of way...