Julian Assange is ‘sucking resources’ from police, Met chief says

His presence in the embassy means the Metropolitan Police has been forced to post a round-the-clock detail of officers to arrest Mr Assange should he leave the building in Knightsbridge.

In August Mr Assange indicated he would soon leave the embassy but six months later he remains inside.

The total bill is thought to consist of almost 8 million in police pay and nearly 2 million in other indirect costs.

The sum would have been enough to keep 343 police officers on the beat for a year.

The Foreign Office has insisted it remains committed to reaching a diplomatic solution to this situation.

A spokesman said: We are clear that our laws must be followed and Mr Assange should be extradited to Sweden. As ever, we look to Ecuador to help bring this difficult and costly situation to an end.

Me Assange has claimed that if he is extradited to Sweden, he will be sent on to the United States for questioning over WikiLeaks publishing of secret files which the authorities say have damaged national security.

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Julian Assange is 'sucking resources' from police, Met chief says