Julian Assange, who is living at the Ecuadorean embassy in London, has a chronic lung infection "which could get worse at any moment", the country's ambassador to the UK has warned, according to BBC News.

Ana Alban said the Wikileaks founder, who is fighting UK efforts to send him to Sweden, was suffering from living "in a confined space".

Ecuador previously sought assurances he would not be arrested if hospitalised. The UK said then it would not prevent "any medical care that he requires".

Ms Alban said Ecuador was "waiting for a meeting" with either UK Foreign Secretary William Hague or UK Home Secretary Theresa May to discuss Mr Assange's future.

Last month, Ecuadorean ministers said Mr Assange had "visibly lost weight" and that his health was "beginning to be jeopardised".

Mr Assange's Wikileaks website has published leaked sensitive diplomatic cables involving various countries, including the US.

In 2010, two women accused him of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture. Mr Assange says the sex was consensual and that he believes the case to be politically motivated.

He says he fears being passed on to authorities in the US if extradited to Sweden.