something lurking in my chimney

[Youhaveafriendinme]

Just heard a flurry of scrabbling, followed by sooty clouds billowing over me and toddler dd So I'm thinking its a bird or a rat, but nothing I can do about it tonight. It's a gas fire set in an old victorian chimney, so whatever it is is lurking behind the modern fireplace where I can't get to it anyway.
So, apart from the unidentified monster in my chimney, I'm a bit worried about the dust - is it likely to be hazardous at all or just old bog standard soot that got dislodged by all the flapping / scurrying? do I need to do anything except hoover up all the black dust and spend a boring hour damp dusting?

God, I hope it isn't a rat.

That sounds very familiar, we've had two pigeons fall down our chimney, including one of the falling behind the gas fire surround.
Pain.in.the.arse.

The dust probably isn't any more than soot, have you got an old towel, curtain or dustsheet you can put out in front of the fireplace for tonight, just to catch anymore that comes out?

We ended up pretty much taking our mantlepiece apart and DH trapped it somehow in a little clarks shoebox.

Ah, thanks, yes an old towel is a good idea. Just having a very big glass of wine so I don't have to think about the scrabbling ...

Very sensible.