Designer Westwood calls by at Assange’s bolthole

DAME Vivienne Westwood paid a visit to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange last night, at the embassy where he has been living since the summer.

The fashion designer was wearing the T-shirt with which she closed her recent London Show, bearing the words “I am Julian Assange”.

Dame Vivienne is a long-standing supporter of the 
Australian, but it was the first time she had visited him at 
the Ecuadorian Embassy in 
London.

Mr Assange, 41, who has been granted political asylum by the government of Ecuador, is seeking to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over claims of sex offences.

He fears being sent to the United States over the activities of his whistle-blowing website.

Recent reports suggest the bill for staking out the embassy where Mr Assange is living has already reached more than £1 million. Scotland Yard confirmed that it is costing £11,000 every day to ensure he does not flee his bolthole.

Earlier this month, nine people who put up bail sureties for Mr Assange were ordered by a judge to pay thousands of pounds each.

Westminster chief magistrate Howard Riddle said they must pay a total of £93,500 by
6 November.