A Chinese court has sentenced two men to death for their roles in producing and selling melamine-tainted milk, which killed at least 6 children and made around 300,000 ill.

Babies began suffering from kidney problems caused by the melamine in late 2007 and doctors were blaming the powdered milk by July 2008.

Sanlu, the now-bankrupt state-owned company at the heart of the scandal, allegedly failed to recall products despite knowing that they were contaminated because Party officials wanted them to keep quiet about the scandal.

The two men who were sentenced were Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping, the BBC reports. Zhang Yujun was convicted for producing 600 tonnes of fake fatal protein powder, from which he earned £715,000. Geng Jinping was sentenced for producing and selling the toxic products to milk companies.

In total 21 people have been charged, Xinhua reports.

The most senior official sentenced was former chairman of Sanlu, who was sentenced to life in prison and fined over £2 million.

Although the government ordered dairy firms to pay out £80 million to the families of affected babies last month, many families are still waiting and those who have received money say the compensation, which has averaged £150, is inadequate.