Actor David Schwimmer has responded after social media users drew attention to an alleged thief who bears a resemblance to his character in the US sitcom Friends.
Police in Blackpool had posted on Facebook asking for witnesses to identify a suspect pictured leaving a restaurant in Blackpool carrying what appeared to be a carton of cans.
Facebook users quickly piled into the comments section, pointing out the suspect's likeness to Mr Schwimmer's character Ross Geller in the well-loved US show.
Mr Schwimmer posted a video to his Twitter account that showed him scurrying through a convenience store carrying a carton of beer before looking up furtively at a CCTV camera.
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."
He added the hashtag #itwasntme to the post.
The alleged theft happened on September 20, a post by Blackpool police said.
Lancashire Police responded to Schwimmer via its Twitter account, saying "Thanks for being there for us" before adding the hashtag "#appreciatethesupport".
Following numerous responses, Lancashire Constabulary replied: "Thank you to everyone for your speedy responses.
"We have investigated this matter thoroughly and have confirmed that David Schwimmer was in America on this date.
"We're so sorry it has to be this way."
A Facebook user, referencing the Friends theme song, replied: "I don't think it's been this guy's day, his week, his month or even his year....."
Another, referencing a Friends episode where Ross says he is an expert in self-defence, wrote: "Please approach with caution. He is known to have studied karate and we believe he has mastered the art of unagi, the state of total awareness."
