The two top HSBC bosses have apologised for "unacceptable" practices at its Swiss private bank which helped clients to avoid tax.

Stuart Gulliver, group chief executive, said it had caused "damage to trust and confidence" in the company.

He and chairman Douglas Flint were answering questions from UK Members of Parliament.

Mr Flint said he felt shame and would "take his share of responsibility" for Swiss private bank failings.

When asked about the list of allegations and investigations into HSBC by international regulatory authorities Mr Flint said: "it's a terrible list."

Despite reforms, he said he could not exclude the possibility of further problems emerging,

He said the task of reforming HSBC will "always be ongoing".

Information about some 30,000 accounts at the Swiss operation were leaked to French tax authorities in 2007.

When asked by MPs who was most responsible for the problems in HSBC's Swiss private bank, Mr Flint said: "The individuals most accountable for the data theft and the behaviour that was unacceptable to our standards was the management in Switzerland.

"Most culpable were the relationship managers [in the Swiss private bank]."

Mr Flint estimated that some 30% of those relationship managers were still employed by HSBC.

No tax purpose

Mr Gulliver, who has worked for HSBC for 35 years and became chief executive in 2011, told the committee that his personal holding of a Swiss bank account through a Panamanian company had "no tax purpose". http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-31623439