I swept the pictured chimney at an address in Ashdon recently, using manual rods and brush; when I came across an obstruction two thirds of the way up the chimney. As I withdrew the rods a number of twigs and bits of nest material came down the chimney causing me to believe that it was a nest blocking the chimney. I changed rods and put the pig’s tail on the end and endeavored to remove the nest by pulling it down the chimney using the pigs tail. After a while struggling and having observed only a small number of twigs come down the chimney, I decided to take a different approach, as I just couldn’t shift the obstruction by pulling it down. I then deployed my large (14mm) power sweeping click rods and a metal flail to whip the nest out. However, again this made very little impression and when I came to pull the rods back down the chimney they appeared to be stuck fast. Now very perplexed by all this I gave the rods one mighty yank and the started to come down the chimney. But their progress down the chimney was not smooth and easy as they seemed to be being impeded by something. This tuned out to be the mesh of chicken wire that had become lodged around the metal flail. With a lot of effort this was eventually removed from the chimney. I’m guessing that at some stage in the past someone had put this wire as a bundle in or on the chimney pot to prevent Jackdaws from building nests. However, at some stage it had fall down the chimney and become lodged about a third of the way down. Well at least it was removed which was a relief to both me and the customer!