Germans resist march of the chimney sweeps

They may bring good luck in Britain, but for some Germans chimney sweeps have become the harbingers of doom.

A law dating back to the Nazi era entitles sweeps to force entry into houses and carry out an annual chimney check-up.

But campaigners say the law is obsolete and are pinning their hopes on the European Commission to force a climbdown by the German government.

"They don't need a court warrant to break into your home. Not even police can do that," said Harry Hollmann, 77, a retired print worker who has spent thousands of euros contesting their powers in the German courts. Last time the local sweep knocked on his door in the town of Oldenburg, in Lower Saxony, he ended up in handcuffs.

"They broke in and officers had to handcuff me and press me against the wall as the sweep went about his business," he said. "It's outrageous. I have had gas heating from the 1990s, I don't need my chimney swept at all."

The sweeps, who sport black top hats and elegant uniforms dating from the 17th century, can use a 1937 law – introduced by the then interior minister Heinrich Himmler – to enlist the police and fire brigade to force their way into people's homes, if necessary by breaking down the door.