Julian Assange has pleaded for a warrant for his arrest to be cancelled so he can leave the Ecuadorian embassy as he is suffering from "depression and a terribly bad tooth".

The Wikileaks founder, who has been holed up for five and a half years, has argued that the only thing stopping him leaving the building and heading to the South American country is a threat he will be held by police for breaching his bail conditions.

His lawyers argue that as proceedings in Sweden over rape allegations have now been dropped the British arrest warrant has lost its purpose.

But he is unlikely to leave the Knightsbridge embassy yet, as Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot reserved her judgement until next month.

"I am particularly concerned that there is some medical issues", she told Westminster Magistrates Court. "I am aware that he has depression, frozen shoulder and a terribly bad tooth."