US millionaire Steve Bing - the father of actress Elizabeth Hurley's baby - has declared victory over the Daily Mirror after it printed an apology for dubbing him Bing Laden.

The apology ran in Tuesday's paper under the headline: "A humble and sincere apology to Mr Steve Bing, philanthropist and humanitarian".

Bing's $40m (�25.8m) lawsuit against the Mirror, for printing his phone number and urging readers to ring and be rude to him, was dismissed as part of the settlement of the dispute.

"I am delighted that the Mirror has set the record straight," film producer and property fortune heir Bing said from his home in Los Angeles.

Steve Bing has claimed victory over the paper

"Other publications should follow the Mirror's example of acting responsibly after realising that it had crossed the line by publishing highly inappropriate material."

Bing's lawyer, Marty Singer, said the paper's decision marked "an unprecedented resolution to a lawsuit against a tabloid".

"We consider this an enormous victory for Mr Bing," he said.

'Love rat'

The Daily Mirror was the most outspoken of UK papers in its criticism of Bing, after he denied fathering Miss Hurley's baby.

It attacked him as a "love rat" for questioning her motives after she demanded a paternity test, which eventually proved he was the father.

Bing alleged he received death threats following reports in the tabloid.

Liz Hurley gave birth in April

The paper said it now accepted it was "mean spirited" and "distasteful" to encourage readers to call him.

The apology states that the paper had carried "inaccurate reports".

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

Another of Bing's lawyers, Lynda Goldman, said the apology was "remarkable" and signalled public acknowledgment from the Mirror that "what it had done to him was wrong".

"The prominent publication of the exceptional retraction and apology fulfilled that goal in an extraordinary fashion," she said.