Chimney sweep rescues owl trapped in stove

A chimney sweep has managed to successfully rescue an owl that had got itself stuck in a chimney stove.

Rob Stead, 36, said he was completing a routine clean at a home in Polperro, Cornwall, last week when he noticed the bird peering through the glass of the stove in the living room.

He immediately alerted the owner of the property, who had been away for four weeks, and told him he would "do my best to free him".

Footage shows Stead using a towel to carefully collect the bird from inside the stove and, after checking it was OK, releasing it outside.

"I shone my torch in there and he started flapping," said Stead, who works in South East Cornwall.

"I got a towel wrapped around him, managed to take him out of the stove and I released him into the back garden.

"He didn't fly straight off but he flew into the corner of the garden there and he eventually took off."

The chimney sweep, who often finds nests and birds in the chimneys he cleans, said he was not an owl expert but figured he would use "a bit of common sense" to make the rescue.

He also noted that, had the bird had been looking "worse for wear", he would have called vets for help.

"He seemed quite happy flying off to the end of the garden," Stead said.

"I went over there and checked on him and he scuttled off. He seemed alright, so I left him to it."

Despite the homeowner being away for some time, Stead said he did not think the bird could have been trapped in the chimney for long.

"He seemed to regain his strength pretty fast as soon as I released him, so I think he was alright," he said.

He added: "I've rescued a robin before, I've rescued a jackdaw or two .. unfortunately you do get some dead birds come down too.

"There is nothing wrong with getting a bird guard and stopping the birds nesting in there."

On its website, the RSPB said it was "best to prevent birds nesting in chimneys" as it "reduces the risk of chimney fires, as well as avoiding injury to the birds and damage to their nest".

The charity added that any active nests must be left alone, but "if there are birds stuck in your chimney that aren't nesting, you can get them out".

If a bird was not injured, they could be released outside, it said.

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