“Following the appeal we posted looking for a man who resembles a well-known actor, we now have an update,” police in Blackpool in northwest England tweeted.

“Thanks to our colleagues @MetPoliceUK, a 36-year-old man was arrested in Southall last night on suspicion of theft. Thank you for the support, especially @DavidSchwimmer!”

Police last month asked the public to identify a man who allegedly stole a crate of beer from a shop.

They quickly found their Facebook feed inundated with replies and merriment after they posted an image of the man, who was the spitting image of the love-lorn US sitcom star.

Police had reassured the public their investigation concluded Schwimmer had a solid alibi.

“We have investigated this matter thoroughly and have confirmed that David Schwimmer was in America on this date,” the force wrote in a statement. “We’re so sorry it has to be this way.”

But Schwimmer decided he would provide some hard evidence to back his claim, posting a video on his Twitter last month showing him in a US store… carrying off a crate of beers.

“Officers, I swear it wasn’t me,” he quipped. “As you can see, I was in New York. To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation.”

“Thanks for being there for us @DavidSchwimmer,” the force replied on their own Twitter account.