RBabe, may I suggest you number each clue,
and brackets at end, like:
1: Those characters kept a gang leader captive (7)
2: Zinc is ordinarily used to make food cutter (7)
And also not removing after solved...just mark 'em, like:
-1: Those characters kept a gang leader captive (7)
-2: Zinc is ordinarily used to make food cutter (7)
Will make it easier all around...