A boss of disgraced Barings Bank trader Nick Leeson is taking a claim for £500,000 in unpaid bonuses to an industrial tribunal next week. The hearing will decide if Ms Mary Walz, its former global head of equity financial products, should have been given the payout.

She was among several senior executives dismissed by the bank's new owners, ING, after it bought Barings for £1. After the rescue, Barings staff received more than £90 million in bonus payments from ING, but the sacked bosses were given nothing.

She was criticised in the Bank of England's report into the collapse for not monitoring Leeson's activities properly and not fully understanding what he was doing.

Her decision to pursue the bonus claim surprised many in the City when it was announced in May this year.