The Daily Mirror has printed a full-page apology to the father of Elizabeth Hurley's baby after it printed his phone number and urged readers to ring him with rude remarks.

The paper agreed the apology with Steve Bing after he issued a writ against it for $40m (�25.8m), which has now been dismissed as part of the settlement of the dispute.

We would like to take the opportunity to offer our sincere apologies to Mr Bing The Mirror

The millionaire film producer was pilloried in the British press after his relationship with model and actress Hurley ended when he it was revealed she was pregnant.

He originally denied he was the father of her baby, Damian, and insisted on a paternity test, which eventually proved he was.

Lawsuit

The American was branded a "love rat" for questioning Hurley's motives

The Mirror was forceful in its treatment of Bing, running a number of articles which dubbed him Bing Laden.

Steve Bing has dropped his massive damages claim against the paper

Bing filed a lawsuit in America over the hate campaign, alleging he received death threats after his office number was printed.

He has now dropped legal proceedings following the publication of the apology.

The paper has now accepted that it was "mean-spirited" and "distasteful" to encourage readers to call him and that its comments that he was shirking his responsibilities to "party" were wrong.

'Humanitarian'

"We would like to take the opportunity to offer our sincere apologies to Mr Bing for publishing disparaging untrue statements about him, and for inappropriately urging our readers to telephone Mr Bing, and to disturb him with derogatory remarks based on our inaccurate reports," reads the apology.

It continues: "Our readers should know that Mr Bing is not the ignominious character that has been depicted in the media.

Liz Hurley gave birth in April

"He is a philanthropist and humanitarian who has dedicated himself to helping causes impacting children and their families."

It goes on to list a number of charities he has supported.

A spokesman for The Mirror said: "We were happy to publish the apology which Steve Bing asked for, in return for which he has abandoned his claim for damages and legal costs.

"In his action he claimed $ 40m plus punitive and exemplary damages. We are paying no damages and no costs to Mr Bing, and consider these proceedings to be now resolved."

The Press Complaints Commission had earlier dismissed a claim from Bing that The Mirror had invaded his privacy by printing the switchboard number of his Los Angeles film company.

Mirror's editor Piers Morgan successfully argued that publishing the office number could not be an offence because it was already available in telephone directories.