David Schwimmer: Metropolitan Police join 'Ross from Friends' hunt Published duration 2 November 2018

media caption The one with the doppelganger: Many thought the suspect (left) bore a striking resemblance to David Schwimmer

The Metropolitan Police has joined the hunt for a "Ross from Friends" lookalike whose CCTV image went viral.

Lancashire Police believes the man wanted over a theft in Blackpool is in London.

"We are working with colleagues in the Metropolitan Police to trace and arrest him," said a police spokeswoman.

Following claims the man was the "spitting image" of David Schwimmer, the Friends star issued a tongue-in-cheek video proclaiming his innocence

Last week Lancashire Police said it had identified the man after being "inundated" with responses.

It has now said: "We believe the person captured on the CCTV images is from the London area."

He is wanted over the theft of a jacket, mobile phone and wallet from Mr Basrai's restaurant in Talbot Road, Blackpool, on 20 September.

He was later caught on CCTV carrying a case of beer at a shop in the town.

image copyright Getty Images image caption Could he BE any more innocent? Police said the real Schwimmer was not in the UK at the time of the offence

Responding to jokes posted on Blackpool police's Facebook post , Schwimmer responded with a video showing him furtively glancing at a camera as he walked through a convenience store clutching cans of beer.

"Officers, I swear it wasn't me," he said in an accompanying post.

Police had earlier confirmed Schwimmer was not in the UK at the time of the offence, but the original post attracted 133,000 comments referencing Friends.

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Schwimmer starred in Friends from 1994 until its finale in 2004.

It is not known whether the Emmy-nominated star has visited the Lancashire seaside resort.

Earlier this year, the announcement of his namesake as the new chief executive of the London Stock Exchange. saw Twitter flooded with Friends in-jokes and GIFs.