A case of mistaken identity may cost British tabloid the Daily Mail lots of money after it identified Colin Farrell as the person in an all-out brawl outside a London nightclub.

It sure looked like the lusty leprechaun at first sight but, alas for the newspaper, it soon became clear that he was safely at home in Los Angeles with girlfriend and kids and was nowhere near the posh London nightclub Cafe De Paris.

The link to the Daily Mail story, which sneered that Farrell had lost his sudden good guy reputation, quickly disappeared off Google and other sites, and TMZ also helped clear up the confusion.

Looking at the pictures however, it is clear this guy could be a body double for the Irish actor.

However, that is unlikely to be much consolation to the Daily Mail if Colin goes ahead and decides to sue. This looks like a perfect case of not letting the facts get in the way of a good story.