Image copyright David Schwimmer/Blackpool Police

A man has been arrested after a police appeal for a Ross from Friends "lookalike" went viral.

The image of a suspected thief, taken in Blackpool, was widely shared after internet users noted his resemblance to actor David Schwimmer.

Lancashire Police said a 36-year-old suspect was arrested in Southall, west London, on suspicion of theft.

The force announced Monday's arrest on Twitter, thanking Schwimmer for his support.

After the original image was shared hundreds of thousands of times, the US star shared a tongue-in-cheek video proclaiming his innocence.

In the short clip, filmed inside a New York shop, he could be seen carrying a crate of beer, mimicking his "double" in the police image.

He captioned the video: "Officers, I swear it wasn't me. As you can see, I was in New York.

"To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation."

The investigation centres around a theft from a restaurant in the British seaside resort on 20 September.