LONDON (AP) — British police on Monday removed a round-the-clock guard from outside the Ecuadorean Embassy hideout of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, saying it wasn't "proportionate" to keep up the operation when no end to the three-year stalemate is in sight. 
 
 FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012, file photo, Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks speaks to the media and members of the public from a balcony at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. British police... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Friday, March 13, 2015 file photo, a police officer stands outside of the Ecuadorean embassy in London. British police have removed the officers standing watch over Julian Assange outside... (Associated Press) 
 
 The Metropolitan Police said the force would still do its best to arrest Assange, who sought refuge at the London embassy in June 2012 while facing extradition to Sweden for questioning about alleged sex crimes. 
 
 The force said that because there is "no imminent prospect of a diplomatic or legal resolution to this issue" a round-the-clock police presence is "no longer proportionate." 
 
 Ecuador has granted Assange political asylum, but he faces arrest if he leaves the embassy. 
 
 The head of Britain's diplomatic service, Simon McDonald, summoned Ecuador's ambassador to the Foreign Office on Monday to express "deep frustration" at the lack of progress in resolving the standoff. 
 
 The 24-hour police operation has been controversial in part because it is so costly. Police say the operation cost 11.1 million pounds ($17.6 million) through April 2015. 
 
 The police force said in a statement that Assange is still subject to arrest for jumping bail and holing up in the embassy while wanted for questioning over sexual assault allegations in Sweden. It said if he leaves the embassy, the force will "deploy a number of overt and covert tactics to arrest him." 
 
 In August, Swedish prosecutors dropped cases of alleged sexual misconduct against the 44-year-old Australian computer hacker, but still want to question him about accusations of rape made after his visit to the country in 2010. 
 
 Assange denies all the allegations and believes extradition to Sweden is merely the first step in efforts to bring him to the U.S. over WikiLeaks' secret-spilling activities. 
 
 Swedish officials have held talks with Ecuador about questioning Assange at the embassy in London, so far with no result. 
 
 Earlier this year, Metropolitan Police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe said the force was reviewing the Assange operation because it was "sucking our resources." 

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 LONDON — Police officers who have been stationed for more three years outside London's Ecuadorian Embassy to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange were withdrawn Monday, officials said. 
 
 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange speaks during a press conference inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Aug. 18, 2014. John Stillwell / AP 
 
 Assange took refuge in the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning over sexual assault and rape allegations against two women. 
 
 London's Metropolitan Police had stationed officers 24 hours a day outside the building, ready to arrest him if he left. 
 
 On Monday, the force said it was "no longer proportionate to commit officers to a permanent presence." 
 
 In a statement, it added that officers remained "committed to executing the arrest warrant and presenting Julian Assange before the court" and vowed to "deploy a number of overt and covert tactics to arrest him." 
 
 “ Despite the efforts of many people there is no imminent prospect of a diplomatic or legal resolution to this issue” 
 
 The cost of the police guards stationed outside the embassy earlier this year was estimated at £10 million (around $15 million). 
 
 Assange faces arrest for breaching British bail conditions if he leaves the embassy, which has been giving him sanctuary. The decision to withdraw the officers came after a "continual review" and "has not been taken lightly," according to the Metropolitan Police, which said it discussed the move with the U.K.'s Home Office and Foreign Office. 
 
 "A significant amount of time has passed since Julian Assange entered the embassy, and despite the efforts of many people there is no imminent prospect of a diplomatic or legal resolution to this issue," the statement said. 
 
 The force added it had to balance the interests of justice "with the ongoing risks to the safety of Londoners," referring to the resources devoted to the constant watch over the building. 

 Metropolitan Police Service strengthens covert plan at Ecuadorian Embassy after removing dedicated 24/7 guards. 
 
 Since Julian Assange entered the Ecuadorian Embassy in June 2012, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has maintained a police presence at the Embassy. 
 
 Julian Assange was arrested on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) in December 2010 and his extradition ordered him to answer serious criminal allegations in Sweden. He is subject to arrest under Section 7 of the Bail Act, for failing to surrender to custody on 29 June 2012 for removal to Sweden. 
 
 Whilst the MPS remains committed to executing the arrest warrant and presenting Julian Assange before the court, it is only right that the policing operation to achieve this is continually reviewed against the diplomatic and legal efforts to resolve the situation. 
 
 As a result of this continual review the MPS has today Monday, 12 October withdrawn the physical presence of officers from outside the Embassy. 
 
 The operation to arrest Julian Assange does however continue and should he leave the Embassy the MPS will make every effort to arrest him. However it is no longer proportionate to commit officers to a permanent presence. 
 
 The MPS will not discuss what form its continuing operation will take or the resourcing implications surrounding it. 
 
 Whilst no tactics guarantee success in the event of Julian Assange leaving the embassy, the MPS will deploy a number of overt and covert tactics to arrest him. 
 
 This decision has not been taken lightly, and the MPS has discussed it with the Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 
 
 A significant amount of time has passed since Julian Assange entered the Embassy, and despite the efforts of many people there is no imminent prospect of a diplomatic or legal resolution to this issue. 
 
 The MPS has to balance the interests of justice in this case with the ongoing risks to the safety of Londoners and all those we protect, investigating crime and arresting offenders wanted for serious offences, in deciding what a proportionate response is. 
 
 Like all public services, MPS resources are finite. With so many different criminal, and other, threats to the city it protects, the current deployment of officers is no longer believed proportionate.
– London cops have been staking out the Ecuadorian Embassy 24 hours a day for three years, waiting for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to venture out. That wait ended Monday as Metropolitan Police finally pulled the plug, noting in a statement that it was "no longer proportionate to commit officers to a permanent presence," NBC News reports. Assange—who's taken refuge in the embassy since June 2012, after Sweden demanded he come back for questioning in two sex-assault cases—had cost nearly $18 million or so through April 2015 to have law enforcement outside the embassy, the AP reports. The force also noted that those resources were taking away from protecting London's citizens and the "many different criminal, and other, threats to the city." The police force, which says it consulted with the UK's Home and Foreign offices, noted that the decision had "not been taken lightly," per NBC. It simply appeared that Assange's holdout proved successful, with the force noting that "no imminent prospect of a diplomatic or legal resolution." Not that cops are giving up on an arrest, which can happen if he ever leaves the embassy: They note they're still "committed" to that goal and plan on "[deploying] a number of overt and covert tactics to arrest him"—to which a WikiLeaks tweet responded Monday by linking to a website devoted to showing how much money the British government has wasted keeping an eye on Assange. (The embassy has reportedly hatched escape plans for Assange, who's been stressing out the workers.)