Julian Assange's mother has accused Theresa May of using her son's "thuggish" arrest to divert attention from "her Brexit dog's breakfast".

Christine Assange launched her attack on the Prime Minister after Mrs May welcomed the WikiLeaks founder's arrest after almost seven years of self-confinement inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Mrs Assange, who pledged to "fight like hell" to clear her son's name, tweeted: "Theresa May trying to divert attention away from her Brexit dog's breakfast by cheering on the thuggish, brutal, unlawful arrest of my courageous, tortured multi-award winning journalist son Julian!"

Speaking in the Commons yesterday, Mrs May declared Assange's arrest showed "no one is above the law" in Britain.

Mrs Assange's tweet was one of many she has posted in the wake of her son's forcible removal from the Ecuadorian embassy.