Julian Assange faces imminent expulsion after six years at the Ecuadorean embassy in central London, a source close to the case has told The Times.

The latest sign that the Wikileaks founder’s self-imposed incarceration in a Knightsbridge backroom is grinding to an end came as President Moreno, of Ecuador, said the Australian should go.

One of Mr Assange’s team yesterday said that the crisis had prompted contingency plans for him to leave in “hours, days or weeks”. The assistant criticised Mr Moreno, calling on him to have “more spine”.

Mr Assange, 47, took refuge at the embassy in 2012, having lost an appeal against extradition to Sweden for questioning on allegations of rape and sexual assault that went to the Supreme Court.

Mr Assange,