Gambling group William Hill has warned over a profits hit from local coronavirus lockdowns as more than 100 of its betting shops have been forced to close due to new restrictions.

The firm - which is being bought by US casino giant Caesars after agreeing a £2.9 billion deal late last month - said it would likely see around £2 million wiped off its underlying earnings if 100 shops remained closed for four weeks.

This is excluding any wages support from the Government.

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Around 10% of William Hill's 1,114 betting shops are located in regions which have been placed in so-called Tier 3 lockdown - with around 8% in the Liverpool region alone.

It is understood around 900 staff work at William Hill's affected shops.

The group posted a 9% fall in net revenues for the 13 weeks to September 29, but this marks a significant improvement on the 32% plunge seen in its first half.

Retail like-for-likes sales bounced back, from a 49% decline in the first half to a 2% fall in the third quarter, as the number of customers in shops returned close to levels seen before the crisis.

But as local lockdowns come into effect to control a second wave of Covid-19, the group said: "As governments vary their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we will continue to mitigate the impact on our business through careful cost control and cash management."