LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - HSBC has fired UK staffwho filmed themselves staging a mock Islamic State-stylebeheading of a colleague and posted the video online, it said onTuesday.
The employees were on a team building exercise inBirmingham, central England, when they made the film. The shortvideo, obtained by The Sun newspaper, showed six staff.
HSBC declined to say how many employees had been dismissed.
"This is an abhorrent video and HSBC would like to apologisefor any offence caused," a spokeswoman said.
The video shows five people in black jumpsuits andbalaclavas pretending to behead another man who is kneeling inan orange jumpsuit. They use a coat hanger as a pretend knife.
The Sun said the video was posted on Instagram and laterdeleted.
It adds to a string of conduct problems at HSBC and otherbanks. The industry is trying to rebuild its reputation afterscandals ranging from the rigging of interest rates and currencymarkets to mis-selling of insurance products.
On the 'Our Values' page of its website, HSBC ChiefExecutive Stuart Gulliver says: "By setting the higheststandards of behaviour our aim is that all of our employees andcustomers can be proud of our business." (Reporting by Steve Slater; Editing by Mark Potter)