Julian Assange's embassy stay – in numbers

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As Scotland Yard calls off its multimillion-pound 24-hour surveillance of the Ecuadorian embassy, we look at how the rest of the WikiLeaks founder’s stay stacks up

This week Scotland Yard called off its multimillion-pound 24-hour surveillance of the Ecuadorian embassy, where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange sought political asylum. The Australian national took refuge in the Knightsbridge building in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning relating to rape and molestation allegations made against him in 2010. A statement from the Metropolitan Police Service said the operation to arrest Assange continued but it was “no longer proportionate to commit officers to a permanent presence”. The Met revealed that it has cost £12m to guard the embassy over three years; here’s a look at how the rest of Assange’s stay stacks up.

40 months

The amount of time Assange has spent in the embassy.

£9,917

The amount of money spent each day on 24-hour police guard.

A policeman stands guard at the door of the Ecuadorian embassy in Knightsbridge, London. Photograph: Pete Riches/Demotix/Corbis

50

The highest number of Metropolitan police officers reported to be in and around the building containing the embassy at any one point.

£12.99

The cost of the Domino’s pizza Assange ordered on the day police called off the 24-hour watch.

15ft x 13ft

Reportedly, the size of Assange’s room in the embassy.

Once a month

How often Vivienne Westwood visits Assange, by her own account.

Five hours

The amount of time Lady Gaga spent in the embassy in 2012. Gaga visited Assange on the recommendation of rapper MIA, who tweeted:

@ladygaga if ur at harrods today , come visit Assange at the Ecuador embassy across the st. im there. ill bring TEA and CAKE.
— M.I.A (@MIAuniverse) October 7, 2012

Two

The number of English-language films released about WikiLeaks since Assange moved into the embassy: We Steal Secrets, a documentary, and The Fifth Estate, starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

Cumberbatch as Assange in The Fifth Estate. Photograph: Frank Connor/AP

One fancy-dress outfit

Leaked Ecuadorian documents (not published on WikiLeaks) revealed that embassy staff had considered sneaking Assange out of the embassy building in fancy dress. Other options included smuggling him out inside a bag and hidden in a diplomatic car.

One treadmill

Given to Assange by film director Ken Loach, which he uses to exercise on. Footage emerged later of Eric Cantona working out on it with Assange.

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