Courts in north China's Hebei Province have started to accept compensation lawsuits from victims of the tainted milk scandal.

    So far, 152 people have filed suits, said Gao Yong, president of the Hebei Provincial Higher People's Court.

    Speaking on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, he rejected reports that the courts were refusing to hear compensation suits.

    He said the courts were merely waiting until extra-judicial claims had been settled.

    The melamine contamination of milk left at least six infants dead and almost 300,000 ill.

    In January, three men were sentenced to death, but one received a two-year reprieve. Eighteen others were sentenced to jail terms ranging from two years to life.Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.