WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is to be arrested "under any circumstances" if he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy, according to restricted police documents snapped by a photographer outside the embassy.
Lewis Whyld of the Press Association took the pictures of the documents on a clipboard carried by a police standing outside the building, half-covered by the officer's arm.
The document puts paid to any legal loophole Assange might have been able to use to get on a plane to Ecuador.
A document carried by a police officer, which outlines that Julian Assange is to be arrested in any circumstances
Diplomatic cars and bags are also sanctuaries for foreign nations, as are embassies, but the police document refers to "dip bag, as dip bag, in dip vehicle" as places they would arrest Assange.
The document appears to read:
"Brief - EQ. Embassy Brief Summery of current position Re: Assange. Action required Assange to be arrested under all circumstances. He comes out with dip immun as dip bag in dip bag in dip vehicle ARRESTED.
"Discuss possibilities of distraction SS10 to liaise...provide additional support."
The police document appears to suggest that investigators were expecting Assange to attempt to escape from the embassy.
Foreign secretary William Hague has said categorically that Assange will not be given safe passage from Britain to Ecuador, despite being granted political asylum by the country last week.
Whyle tweeted after taking the pictures
Ecuador’s Foreign Minister has told Al Jazeera English that his government chose to delay offering Assange asylum to avoid an uncomfortable diplomatic situation during the London Olympic Games, saying: "From the start we did dialogue with them [UK government] about the entire process.
"Then when the Olympic games began, we thought we wouldn't ruin the games and we wouldn't create any uncomfortable situation by offering the asylum just then.
"We knew this could create an uncomfortable situation for them.
"We were cordial enough, and decent enough to tell them in advance not to worry that we were not going to make any announcement before the end of the games. That's the only time we did make a calculation, but not for our benefit."