(CNN) Julian Assange's father has urged the Australian government to help his son, calling on them to bring the WikiLeaks founder home, in an interview with an Australian newspaper.

Speaking for the first time since his son's arrest in London earlier this week, John Shipton told New Corp's Herald Sun of his "shock" at seeing his son carried out of the Ecuadorian Embassy by British police.

"I saw him -- the way they dragged him down the steps, the coppers -- he didn't look good. I'm 74 and I look better than him and he's 47. It's such a shock," he said.

Assange had been holed up inside the embassy for seven years, but Ecuador withdrew his asylum on Thursday.

Assange was dragged out of the Ecuadorian Embassy where he had been holed up for seven years.

Video footage captured shortly afterwards showed a heavily-bearded Assange shouting and gesticulating as multiple officers hustled him into a waiting police van.