Multi millionaire businessman and race horse owner, JP McManus, has begun High Court proceedings against Facebook over the social networking website's alleged failure to take down a number of profiles pretending to be him.

Lawyers for Mr McManus asked the High Court for permission to notify Facebook Ireland of his intention to take the proceedings due to their alleged failure to take down three identified Facebook sites.

It is understood the Facebook profiles at the centre of the proceedings state they are 'JP McManus' and contain photos of him. The social networking service and website has more than 600m users worldwide.

Facebook was not represented in court.

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy granted Mr McManus permission to notify the company of his that he is seeking injunctions restraining Facebook from maintaining, facilitating or publishing the accounts and ordering the company to take steps to close down and remove the accounts identified.

Mr McManus also claims Facebook's alleged failure to remove the accounts identified, is a breach of his constitutional rights.

He is also seeking a declaration from the court that the continued processing of personal data by maintaining the sites is a breach of the 1988 Data Protection Acts.

In addition Mr McManus is also seeking damages for defamation, malicious falsehood, fraudulent misrepresentation, negligence and breaches of his Constitutional Rights.

Senior Counsel Paul Gallagher, for Mr McManus told the court that solicitors acting on behalf of his client had corresponded with Facebook in an attempt to have the particular Facebook sites identified taken down.

Counsel said that his client's representatives had gone through the appropriate channels and followed all the various steps asked of them in order to have the sites identified shut down.

However, earlier this month Mr McManus's lawyers got to a point where they were informed by Facebook to go back to the start of the process.

As a result the profiles remained in being and his client wished to bring an injunction compelling Facebook to take action.

The matter will be before the court again on Monday.