Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in Knightsbridge, London, since 2012. He is pictured in May last year

Julian Assange's poor hygiene was a driving force behind Ecuador's recent drive to end his five-year standoff at their London embassy, it has emerged.

The Wikileaks founder has been held up in the Knightsbridge embassy since 2012 following attempt to extradite him to Sweden amid rape and sexual assault allegations.

But it is claimed that embassy staff have made a number of complaints about Mr Assange's lack of cleanliness.

'It seems he doesn't wash properly,' a source told The Times.

The embassy building occupies half the ground floor of the mansion block near Harrods.

Mr Assange had previously complained about noise coming from a loading bay, which led to the ladies' lavatory being converted into a bedroom.

It means staff have been sharing the only remaining bathroom with the activist.

Jérémie Zimmermann, a friend and former colleague of Mr Assange, wrote in 2012 that 'unless the people around him for him into the shower, he might not change his clothes for days'.

Another ally, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, added: 'Julian ate everything with his hands and he always wiped his fingers on his pants. I have never seen any pants as greasy as his in my whole life.'

It comes after Mr Assange was granted Ecuadorian citizenship on December 12, as the country seeks a 'dignified and just' solution with the British Government.

A source told The Times that staff at the embassy have made a number of complaints regarding Mr Assange's poor hygiene. The Wikileaks founder is pictured in 2012

Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa announced Thursday that Ecuador had asked London to recognise Assange as a diplomat - which would give him safe passage out of the embassy without fear of arrest - but Britain had refused.

'The Ecuadoran government is empowered to grant nationality to the protected person and thus facilitate... his inclusion in the host state,' Espinosa told reporters.

She said the request to Britain to accept diplomatic status for Assange was made on December 20, and denied a day later.

The foreign minister said Quito would not insist further on the issue because of the 'good relations we have with the United Kingdom'.

The British foreign ministry said in a statement that Ecuador had 'recently requested diplomatic status for Mr Assange here in the UK. The UK did not grant that request, nor are we in talks with Ecuador on this matter.'

The Wikileaks founder Julian Assange posted a picture of himself wearing an Ecuador football shirt, adding to the speculation he had been granted citizenship

Ecuador last month granted Mr Assange citizenship and recently requested that he be granted diplomatic status for him to remain in the UK

News of his naturalization comes a day after he it was revealed he had been given an Ecuadorian passport.

Assange posted a picture of himself wearing an Ecuador football shirt on Wednesday, which added to the speculation he had been received citizenship.

El Universo quoted reliable sources who confirmed the passport document, numbered 1729926483, was issued to a Julian Paul Assange in December.

His name appeared on Ecuadorian Internal Revenue Service, and his file read 'the citizen/taxpayer has no information registered in the database or recorded by third parties', according to the paper.

An FCO spokesman said: 'The Government of Ecuador recently requested diplomatic status for Mr Assange here in the UK.

'The UK did not grant that request, nor are we in talks with Ecuador on this matter.

'Ecuador knows that the way to resolve this issue is for Julian Assange to leave the embassy to face justice.'

Assange moved to the embassy in Central London in 2012 as he tried to avoid extradition to Sweden over charges of rape and sexual assault. He is pictured on May last year

Swedish prosecutors have dropped their investigation into allegations against Mr Assange, but he fears he will be extradited to the United States if he leaves the building and that there is a sealed indictment ordering his arrest.

Ecuador's foreign minister, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, said: 'No solution will be achieved without international cooperation and the cooperation of the United Kingdom, which has also shown interest in seeking a way out.'

A United Nations panel concluded in 2016 that Mr Assange was under arbitrary detention.

A statement by Mr Assange's legal team said: 'The UN ruling, issued almost two years ago, is crystal clear in its language.

'Mr Assange is unlawfully and arbitrarily detained by the UK authorities and must be released.

'The UK should not permit itself to be intimidated by the Trump administration's public threats to "take down" Mr Assange.'

Earlier, Ecuador said it was looking to end the ‘untenable impasse’ with the WikiLeaks founder, pictured, who has criticised Ecuador’s allies including Spain.

Assange moved to the embassy in Central London in 2012 as he tried to avoid extradition to Sweden over charges of rape and sexual assault.

But last year, the Australian, 46, angered Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno by tweeting support for Catalan separatists.

On Tuesday, Ecuador’s foreign minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa said Assange’s stay had become ‘untenable’ and she was seeking a mediator’s assistance.

The charges against Assange have been dropped by Swedish prosecutors due to the impossibility of serving him notice, but the Metropolitan Police, which spent millions of pounds maintaining watch over the embassy, said he still faced a charge of failing to surrender to a court.