Firefighters rescue cat trapped in chimney for two days

April 11 (UPI) -- The London Fire Brigade came to the rescue of a cat who fled from his owner's vacuum and spent two days trapped in the chimney.

The brigade said its Bexley and Greenwich Red Watch crews responded to the Erith-area home to rescue the cat, named Oreo, when his owner started to grow concerned that he wasn't coming down on his own.

"Oreo the cat had been stuck in the chimney for two days. His owners were getting increasingly worried when he wouldn't come down from the chimney after racing up there when the Hoover was turned on," Sub Officer Ryan Senior-Ellison said.

Firefighters said it took the crews about three hours to safely reunite Oreo with his owner.

"In the end thanks to the crews' hard work and fantastic efforts Oreo was reunited with his owner," Senior-Ellison said.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "Firefighters love animals too and we are ready, willing and able to assist distressed or injured animals.

"The last thing we want is for people to put themselves at risk rescuing an animal themselves -- but we do encourage people to call the RSPCA in the first instance and we will assist if our specialist equipment is required, as in this case."