I use a variant of Colin's approach. I have a pair of really long snipe-nosed pliers like these. Firstly I waggle the split ends back and forth until they break free, then grip the other end and pull it out by winding the pliers. Once it's moved a bit you can change your grip and shift it more.

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Tim H.
1986 4/4 VVTi Sport, 2002 LR Defender, 2022 Mini Cooper SE