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Chris Weston, chief executive at Thames Water, has defended his decision to accept a £195,000 bonus just three months into the job last year.

I think in the first three months I did make a difference.

I started to put in place the new organisational structure, I started to give people confidence and reassurance about how proud they could be of the job they did and what we were setting out to do. And that helped stabilise the company and I think that was important.

I was the fifth chief executive in five years … that creates a confusion for people in the company. I think it required clearer direction, which I have given … Sixteen months in I’m quite pleased with the progress we’re making.

It is a big ship to turn around. It is very difficult.