An 'extremely greedy' former Chinese official has been given a death sentence after accepting massive bribes, according to China's state media.

Zhang Zhongsheng, 66, is said to have taken bribes amounting to 1.04 billion yuan (£116.8 million) over 16 years - the equivalent of being bribed 178,000 yuan (£20,000) a day.

The disgraced officials received the economic benefits while working senior roles in Lvliang, one of China's poorest regions, said the court.

The news has grabbed much attention in China because few corrupt officials have been given a death penalty - even after Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a tough anti-graft campaign while assuming the office in 2013.

The disgraced official received the astronomical bribes between 1997 and 2003 when he worked for the regional governments in Lvliang, Shanxi Province.

He was investigated in 2015 while working as the deputy mayor of Lvliang City. His other positions included the head of Zhongyang County in Lvliang.

Lvliang is a poverty-stricken area. According to China News, 1,346 villages and 480,000 residents of the area are classified as 'impoverished' by the central government.

According to the court, Mr Zhang accepted a total of 18 bribes in the forms of cash and property. Among them, two cases exceeded 200 million yuan (£22.5 million) in value; and over 88 million yuan (£10 million) had been requested by Mr Zhang from his contacts.

In return, the former powerful regional leader offered the other party help in the approval of projects and the obtaining of coal resources, which Shanxi is famous for, reported Xinhua News Agency. 

The court said Mr Zhang is 'extremely greedy' and his crimes had caused 'huge losses to the country and its people'. All of his personal assets will be confiscated.

Mr Zhang's sentence came after China's ruling Communist Party vowed to further crack down on corruption with a proposed anti-graft agency.