Cruise liner runs into choppy waters: can William Hill steady the ship?

These are undeniably difficult times for William Hill, the bookmaking giant whose management is bidding to regain its once sure-footed step.

Hills find themselves without a chief executive and trying to turn around a spluttering online operation while overhauling their retail business. They even suffered the indignity of an opportunistic takeover bid from two smaller rivals this summer.

Growth in the bookmaker's online operation has stalled, not helped by the launch of a new website and app that had a torrid reception, while the situation has been exacerbated by the introduction of increased regulation and taxation.