The former head of drinks giant Diageo has been snapped up as an adviser for fast-growing premium gin business Brockmans, the company has announced.

Paul Walsh, who ran Diageo for 13 years until 2013, will join the start-up to help bosses with their five-year expansion plan.

Brockmans, which is currently sold in 45 countries and costs around £30 a bottle, is particularly keen to break further into the US.

Co-founder and chief executive Neil Everitt said: "I am delighted that Paul has agreed to join us on the exciting next leg of our journey."

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He also said: "His industry knowledge, experience and contacts will help us achieve our ambition of doubling sales and becoming the best super-premium gin business in the world.

"Paul's success in developing a multinational business will be particularly relevant as we grow Brockmans' international presence."

He added that ultra-premium gin sales in the US were up 25% in 2018 but believes the Stateside market is still in its infancy.

Brockmans entered the US market in 2014, extending its presence from New York, New Jersey and New England to states including Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Colorado, Michigan and Illinois this year.

Mr Walsh said: "I have watched Brockmans' progress with admiration, over the past few years, and I look forward to playing a part in the next exciting phase of its growth."

Brockmans announced record results at the start of July, showing revenue grew 26% to £10.3 million in 2018 driven by a surge in sales in the UK, which overtook Spain as the company's biggest market.

Shares in cyber security group Sophos have jumped 37% as investors react to a $3.82 billion (£3 billion) takeover bid by a US private equity group.

The approach by Thoma Bravo has been accepted by the board and the deal will now go to shareholders for final approval.

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It is the latest in a long line of foreign businesses snapping up UK-listed firms, with many taking advantage of the historically weak pound.

Sophos can trace its roots back 34 years to a semi-detached house in Kidlington, Oxford, where friends Jan Hruska and Peter Lammer launched the business.

But the current management said they believed the deal was in the best interests of all shareholders.

Peter Gyenes, chairman of Sophos, said the takeover "secures the delivery of future value for shareholders".

"Under Thoma Bravo's ownership we expect Sophos to accelerate its evolution and leadership in next-generation cybersecurity."

The deal values each share in Sophos at 583p - and investors appeared keen on the bid, with shares jumping 37% to 581.4p in early trading on Monday morning.

Germany's exports to the UK have dropped 4.6% in the first seven months of 2019 compared with a year earlier.

The decline continues a downward trend since the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016.

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Germany's Federal Statistical Office said the country exported goods worth €47.1 billion (£41.27 billion) to the UK between January and July.

UK exports to Germany were worth €21.3 billion (£18.66 billion) - a 3.7% decline in year-on-year terms.

In the January-July period, the UK was Germany's seventh biggest trading partner overall. In 2015, the year before the Brexit referendum, it was fifth.

The statistics office said that German exports to the UK climbed steadily from 2010 to 2015 but then dropped.

It said exports of cars and auto parts have declined strongly.