US actor David Schwimmer has weighed in on a search for a man who appears to resemble his 'Friends' character, Ross Gellar.

Police in the UK say they are searching for the man in relation to a theft at a restaurant in Blackpool last month.

Lancashire Constabulary posted a picture of the man on social media on Tuesday, which shows the individual carrying a crate of beer.

However, the post quickly went viral - receiving more than 100,000 comments and 70,000 shares on Facebook as of writing.

Many users enthusiastically highlighted the resemblance to actor David Schwimmer, best known for playing Ross in Friends.

The comments quickly filled up with references to the sitcom character, with one user observing: "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."

Another added: "Lay off him. He grew up with Monica. IF YOU DIDN'T EAT FAST YOU DIDN'T EAT."

Police promptly responded to the influx of comments, writing: "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.

They added: "We're so sorry it has to be this way."

And Schwimmer has responded, tweeting a video of himself carrying a crate of beer as he glances at the camera.

Using the hastag #itwasntme, he wrote: "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."

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.#itwasntme pic.twitter.com/EDFF9dZoYR

— schwim (@DavidSchwimmer) October 24, 2018

Additional reporting: Jack Quann