WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in central London, police have said.

Mr Assange, sporting a long white beard and wagging a finger, shouted “UK must resist” as he was carried out in handcuffs by seven men and hauled into a police van.

He has been in the building for nearly seven years after seeking refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden and was detained on Thursday after the Ecuadorian government withdrew his asylum.

WikiLeaks said on Twitter that the Ecuadorian ambassador “invited British police into the embassy” and Mr Assange was immediately arrested.

Scotland Yard has confirmed Mr Assange is being held on behalf of US authorities, as well as for breaching bail conditions.

Following Mr Assange’s detention, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Sky News: “No one is above the law and Julian Assange is no hero.

“He’s hidden from the truth for years and years, and it is right that his future should be decided in the British judicial system.”