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© Srdjan Zivulovic / Reuters
Pharmaceutical company ITH Pharma Ltd is facing criminal prosecution following the deaths of babies at several British hospitals, police have announced.

London-based ITH Pharma Ltd is facing criminal charges after allegedly supplying contaminated feed to premature babies between May 27 and June 2, 2014.

The charges come after an investigation was launched in 2014, after three babies died and another 20 needed treatment over contracting septicemia (blood poisoning).

Scotland Yard said in a statement on Wednesday: "ITH Pharma Ltd, based at Premier Park, NW10, has been charged with seven counts of supplying a medicinal product which was not of the nature or quality specified in the prescription on 27 May 2014.

"It has also been charged with failing to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that patients were not infected by contaminants, in breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act, between 1 August 2009 and 1 June 2014.

"The company is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday, 17 December."

The babies who died were treated at two hospitals: St Thomas' in London and Rosie Maternity Hospital, Cambridge.

Yousef Al-Kharboush died at only nine days old on June 1, 2014 after receiving the contaminated feed at St Thomas'. His parents said they will never recover from what happened.

"We have found it impossible to move on while the case is ongoing, I am not sure that we will ever come to terms with what happened," his father, Raaid Sakkijha, said.