Ecuador 'planned fancy dress escape for Julian Assange'

Ecuadorian officials planned a number of ways to smuggle Assange out of their embassy. Credit: Reuters

Ecuadorian officials reportedly plotted to smuggle Julian Assange out of their London embassy in fancy dress to avoid police.

Other ideas included having the face of WikiLeaks jump across Kensington rooftops to a helipad or become lost in the crowds at Harrods, according to documents seen by Ecuadorian news site Focus Ecuador and Buzzfeed UK.

The documents also reveal concerns over his mental health and details of clashes between Assange and embassy security officials.

Assange has been stuck in the Ecuadorian embassy since 2012, following an arrest warrant issued by Sweden for alleged sexual assault charges.

He has remained there since, fearful that he might also face extradition to the United States to face espionage charges related to his website, Wikileaks.

In June, police figures released to ITV News showed the cost of a permanent police presence outside the embassy had cost the taxpayer more than £11 million over three years.