Assange will be promptly nabbed if he steps out: UK

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will have to prepare himself for an indefinite stay inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, as the British government has made it clear that he will be arrested the moment he steps out of the premises.

British foreign secretary William Hague said on Thursday the standoff at the embassy could go on for some time. But he said the British would not storm the building, after Ecuador claimed the UK had threatened to launch a raid.

Some 20 to 30 Scotland Yard officers are keeping a 24-hour vigil outside the embassy, located at 3 Hans Crescent - in the heart of London's exclusive Knightsbridge district. Barely 50 yards away is the men's clothing section of Harrods department store, one of Europe's most expensive places to shop.

With Assange's internment, the area now has an added attraction, with scores of supporters parked outside.

Friends who have visited Assange say he has a computer and a broadband connection, at least one cellphone, and regular deliveries of takeout food - carefully inspected by the Scotland Yard cops.

Hague said, ''We will not allow Assange safe passage out of the United Kingdom, nor is there any legal basis for us to do so. The United Kingdom does not recognise the principle of diplomatic asylum.''