A MAN has been given "appropriate advice" by police after he owned up to taking a historic bell that was reported stolen from a business centre.

The man handed the 200-year-old ringer into police in Crawley on Monday, telling officers he had taken it with good intentions.

The former worker at the Priory Business Centre in Syresham Gardens, Haywards Heath, he told police he had wanted to keep the item safe because the centre was closing down and he feared it might just get thrown into a skip.

But he said he realised it might be looked upon as a theft and decided to contact police.

On Monday police appealed for the public's help in finding the missing bell, which was noticed missing on November 5 by the building's manager, Trevor Evershed.

He told The Argus it must have been missing no more than about one day because he goes past its site every morning.

He said: "I had a phone call last night from Crawley police to say that someone had handed it back, which is obviously very good news, because it is a heritage item.

"I first noticed it missing on November 5. I go past that corridor every morning - it is the first thing I do. That day I walked down and thought, 'Hang on a minute, the bell has gone.' So I told police.

"It has cost me quite a lot of hard work - I had to make extra security checks and put other things out of view that are quite valuable."

No details were immediately available as to how the man had taken the roughly one-foot-and-a-half structure from the building, where it was on the first floor.

Mr Evershed said he believed the bell dated back to the building's origins as a nunnery. It has also been a school.

"I am very glad to have it back," he added.

A police spokesman said: "Following publicity about its disappearance a former worker at the premises, which is due to be redeveloped, immediately came forward to admit taking it for safekeeping after being concerned it might be lost or destroyed.

"The bell has since been returned to its rightful owner."