A BURGLAR was arrested after breaking into the education centre at the Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve on Thursday morning just after 07:00 by members of Marshall Security.

The suspect was allegedly trying to steal a flat-screen TV and other valuable items from the building.

The centre was established in 1989 and housed a mini-museum, artefacts, and newspaper clippings from the 1960s.

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“A member of the public had noticed that one of the windows of the building had been forced open and suspected that the burglar could still be inside,” explained Marshall Security spokesperson Tyron Powell.

“Our officers conducted an internal check of the training centre and found the suspect hiding inside. The suspect had removed the flat-screen TV from its bracket and rifled through several cupboards looking for valuable items,” he said.

The suspect was handed over to the Durban North SAPS, and he was charged with business burglary.

In 2014, the centre was burned to the ground by vandals and, at the time, hundreds of priceless and historical artefacts were lost, including newspaper clippings dating back to the 1960s, rare creature specimens and the jawbone of a sperm whale.

The education centre was rebuilt a year later.