Banking giant HSBC apologised for a website blunder on its Hong Kong page which directed unwitting visitors to a pornographic site, reports said Tuesday.

In a statement published on Monday, the bank said the link to the external website had been removed from its community projects page and made an apology.

"HSBC would like to apologise to the public for any inconvenience caused," it said in the statement.

Video seen on the Apple Daily newspaper website showed the website linking to a page that showed suggestive pictures of scantily clad women.

"It's a new HSBC business," Hong Konger Terry To commented jokingly on Apple Daily's Facebook page.

The third party website for an obsolete community award, which was originally connected with the HSBC site, had expired and was taken over by a porn site, South China Morning Post reported.

The British bank added that it was not associated with the racy webpage "in any way", adding that its website remains secure.