The costly legal standoff over Julian Assange took a dramatic turn yesterday when Swedish prosecutors said they were prepared to question the WikiLeaks founder in Britain . For almost three years Assange , pictured , has been claiming asylum in London ’ s Ecuadorian embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape allegations . The 43-year-old faces arrest if he steps outside , and taxpayers have spent more than £10million on police who monitor him 24 hours a day . Swedish Prosecutors have offered to travel to London to question Wikileaks founder Julian Assange . Swedish officials until now refused to question him in London over the allegations of rape , sexual assault and illegal coercion . But yesterday lead prosecutor Marianne Ny announced that they will now travel to Britain – because time is running out . Under Swedish law they only have until August to pursue the claims relating to sexual assault and illegal coercion . Miss Ny said that an interview conducted at the embassy would be of lower ‘ quality ’ , but added : ‘ Now that time is of the essence , I have viewed it therefore necessary to accept such deficiencies. ’ Her team will also seek a DNA swab . Assange , who is currently holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy , is wanted for questioning in Sweden over sexual assault allegations . Today one of the Australian 's lawyers welcomed the offer by Swedish prosecutors to travel to the UK and said it was likely their offer would be accepted . 'This is something we 've demanded for over four years , ' said Per Samuelson . 'Julian Assange wants to be interviewed so he can be exonerated . So of course we welcome this . ' However , Assange may stay in the embassy for another five years until the more serious allegation of rape also expires in Swedish law . By then the bill for Scotland Yard ’ s sentry duty would be around £30million . Assange ’ s spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson has repeatedly said that the activist – who denies the accusations – has no intention of turning himself in . Yesterday , Mr Hrafnsson called the offer by Swedish prosecutors ‘ a victory for Julian ’ , but insisted the delay had been ‘ absolutely outrageous ’ . He said : ' I assume this is because it is extremely likely that Julian will win a case in the Supreme Court in Sweden , determining that the arrest warrant be dropped . Assange 's lawyers welcome the move by the Swedish prosecutors to travel to London to quiz him . The surveillance operation outside the Ecuadorian Embassy has so far cost the UK taxpayers £10million . 'The court has recently announced it will hear the case , and it is quite obvious it will rule in Julian 's favour . ' Mr Hrafnsson said the Swedish prosecutor had 'done nothing ' to move the case forward for years . Assange has been fighting extradition to Sweden since it issued a warrant for his arrest in August 2010 . Two years later he was granted political asylum by Ecuador . He believes that if he goes to Sweden , he will be extradited to the US and questioned over classified state documents that were published by WikiLeaks . Last month Stephen Greenhalgh , London deputy mayor for policing , said the cost of guarding the embassy was ‘ eye-watering ’ . Police have been station outside the embassy building in Knightsbridge round the clock since Assange arrived in June 2012 . He has been granted asylum by the government of Ecuador but can not travel there because he will be arrested first . In that time he has given a series of speeches from the balcony of the building and 'attended ' conferences around the world by video message .
Swedish prosecutors offer to come to London to question Stephen Greenhalgh . Wikileaks founder currently holed up at Ecuadorian embassy in London . Wanted in Sweden for questioning as part of a probe into rape allegations . 43-year-old has refused to return to Sweden to refute the charges . Australian 's lawyer welcomes decision by the Swedish authorities .