WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange has been arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Assange, 47, who has spent almost seven years at the embassy after seeking refuge there to avoid extradition to Sweden, was detained after the Ecuadorian government withdrew his asylum, Scotland Yard said.

He was held on a warrant issued by Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 29, 2012, when he failed to surrender to the court.

Scotland Yard said: "He has been taken into custody at a central London police station where he will remain, before being presented before Westminster Magistrates' Court as

soon as is possible.

"The MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) had a duty to execute the warrant, on behalf of Westminster Magistrates' Court, and was invited into the embassy by the Ambassador, following the Ecuadorian government's withdrawal of asylum."

Ecuador's president Lenin Moreno said on Twitter: "In a sovereign decision Ecuador withdrew the asylum status to Julian Assange after his repeated violations to international conventions and daily-life protocols."

But Wikileaks said he had acted illegally in terminating Assange's political asylum "in violation of international law".

His arrest comes a day after Wikileaks accused the Ecuadorean Government of an "extensive spying operation" against Assange.

Wikileaks claims meetings with lawyers and a doctor inside the embassy over the past year were secretly filmed.

Assange had refused to leave the embassy, claiming he would be extradited to the United States for questioning over the activities of Wikileaks if he did so.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: "Julian Assange, 47, has today, Thursday 11 April, been arrested by officers from the Metropolitan

"Police Service (MPS) at the Embassy of Ecuador, Hans Crescent, SW1 on a warrant issued by Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 29, 2012, for failing to surrender to the court.

"He has been taken into custody at a central London police station where he will remain, before being presented before Westminster Magistrates' Court as soon as is possible.

"The MPS had a duty to execute the warrant, on behalf of Westminster Magistrates' Court, and was invited into the embassy by the Ambassador, following the Ecuadorian government's withdrawal of asylum."

Home Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted: "Nearly seven years after entering the Ecuadorean Embassy, I can confirm Julian Assange is now in police custody and rightly facing justice in the UK."

Mr Javid thanked Ecuador for its cooperation and the Metropolitan Police for its professionalism. He said no one was above the law.

Wikileaks tweeted: "URGENT: Ecuador has illigally (sic) terminated Assange political asylum in violation of international law. He was arrested by the British police inside the Ecuadorian embassy minutes ago."

Ecuador's president Lenin Moreno said on Twitter: "In a sovereign decision Ecuador withdrew the asylum status to Julian Assange after his repeated violations to international conventions and daily-life protocols."