Thanks - I see your point. But without the preposition, the definition would have been 'ruling' - which could be perceived as a verb, therefore the solution would have ended .......ING. Yes?

The fact it *could* be perceived as a verb is irrelevant. It's OK to be misleading in a cryptic clue! Just because the straight def ends in "ING" doesn't mean the solution necessarily has to do so, as long as it's still a valid definition.

Here's one. Let's see how you go:
Attractive ribbon put to sound use [8,4]

That'll be MAGNETIC TAPE, I think.
This is shoddy, but it's late at night -
Poor man, since returning passport to province [8]

Searching for place in England, bugger all good to vegetarians (7 down)

[Noodle] We need the number of letters, not its position in the grid ;o)

Sorry, there are 7 letters, and it is down, although I suppose its verticality is irrelevant.

[Wol] Yes. Is yours Manitoba?

I'd like to see your full deconstruction of that one - I'd be amused if it worked. But no, that isn't it.

Not in England as far as I know, but there is an Omstead County in the US. Not that that helps, but then I'm completely useless at crosswords.

Wol - I believe it's INDIGENT and here's why: INDIGENT=poor (straight def) As for the rest, man=GENT. passport (ID) to province (NI) = IDNI, returning (reversing) to INDI. "since" means put GENT after INDI. Hence, INDIGENT.

[Darren] word - and letter - perfect.

Silly me, mine was noodle's of course. If anyone has seen a mind lying around, it's mine.

"One second and a half behind at racetrack" I-O-A. Not good on racetracks, me

[MF] Looks like ISOLA to me (in France). Not sure about the complete analysis, though.

Could you help me out. Would you believe stuck on 1 across, this is all I need to finish off the top corner.
Reassuring, turning up to protect stronghold (10)
So far the letters are -²O- ³* - ⁴ R – ⁵ I – ⁶ G.
These are from the down clues
2. Result?Middle East has to support dismissed officer(7) O UTCOME
3. Deaf, backward Frenchman admitted being, in fact, renowned(5)asterisk
4. Poor skier reaching dead end took chance (6) R ISKED
5. Hanger-on coming and going depending on weather (6) I CICLE
6. Unusually largely built, it attracts viewers (7) G ALLERY

[Wol] It worked after a gin. It doesn't now.

I presume it's Comforting... Coming (turning up) surrounding (to protect) fort (stronghold)

And the asterisk one being FAMED - "deaf" backwards containing M. for M'sieur