WikiLeaks founder Assange arrested by UK police at Ecuadorian embassy

British police have arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where the Australian whistleblower had been living since 2012.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said in a statement on Thursday that it had arrested Assange after being "invited into the embassy by the Ambassador, following the Ecuadorean government's withdrawal of asylum."

Assange has also "been further arrested on behalf of the United States authorities" after he arrived at the police station in central London, the MPS said in a statement.

An agitated, frail-looking Assange with white hair and a white beard was carried out of the embassy by at least seven men to a waiting police van.

"I can confirm that Julian Assange is now in police custody and rightly facing justice in the UK," British Home Secretary Sajid Javid said on Twitter.

Javid was due to make a statement to parliament later in the day on the arrest of Assange, the opposition Labour Party said on Twitter.

WikiLeaks condemned the move, accusing Ecuador of breaching international law by withdrawing Assange's asylum.

"Ecuador has illegally terminated Assange political asylum in violation of international law," the whistleblowing website said on Twitter.

WikiLeaks had recently warned  that Assange was likely to be expelled from the embassy soon.

Assange took refuge in Ecuador’s embassy in London in 2012 after facing a warrant for arrest following allegations of sexual assault and rape from the Swedish government.

SS