THE Limpopo police officer who disappeared on May 31 was found dead yesterday in the bushes outside Mokopane.

Sergeant Tlou Johannes Mpai, who worked at the Mahwelereng police station, was last seen alive after he allegedly went to attend to a court matter in Seshego near Polokwane.

But yesterday men herding cattle and others hunting on a farm outside Mokopane made the grisly find.

They allegedly found the body of Mpai, 43, hanging from a tree in the bushes on a farm between Armoede and Tshamahansi outside Mokopane.

The farm, known as Malehoko, is on the road to GaMashashane village and is mostly used for grazing of livestock.

Mahwelereng police spokesperson Captain Sebotsaro Motadi said yesterday that they received a tip-off.

"We were shocked to discover that it was one of our own," Motadi said.

"We are awaiting postmortem results that will assist us in determining the actual cause of death. But at the moment we do not suspect foul play."

According to Motadi, Mpai was facing a case of handling a firearm negligently after his eldest son allegedly killed himself using the state firearm last year.

He was apparently afraid he was going to be fired