HSBC has apologised after a link on its official website directed visitors to a pornographic page. Anyone trying to access the bank's page for the Young Entrepreneur Awards - which has since been shut down - was greeted by images of women posing naked or having sex. The porn site took over the address after the awards were scrapped in 2011 and the organisers allowed its registration on HSBC.com.hk to retire. Blunder: HSBC has apologised after a link on its official website directed visitors to a pornographic page (pictured) For that reason, the website's URL address which would usually connect to a third-party website transferred visitors to the porn business instead, a banking source told the South China Morning Post. HSBC yesterday removed the hyperlink from its main website after realising its embarrassing mistake. A spokesman denied the bank had any associations with the external site and offered its apology to the public. In a public statement dated April 20, HSBC said 'a link to an external third-party website has been removed' from its community projects webpage. It added: 'HSBC is not in any way associated with the external third-party website. HSBC would like to apologise to the public for any inconvenience caused.' The banking giant insisted its website remained secure. HSBC's internet banking service allows customers to check their account balances, transfer funds, and apply for loans and insurance, among others. Embarrassing: The porn site took over the Young Entrepreneurs Wards page after they were scrapped in 2011 and the organisers allowed its registration to retire (Hong Kong branch pictured)
Graphic images appeared on defunct Young Entrepreneurs Awards sites . Pornographic site took over address after the page was shut down in 2011 . HSBC has since apologised for error and denied association with the page .