Police have concluded a search for a missing man near Ōpōtiki after a body was discovered in the Toatoa area on Saturday.

Police said cordons were put in place at Toatoa after the discovery was made during efforts to find the missing man.

Formal identification procedures are still to be completed, and police did not name who they were searching for in a statement to SunLive.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death remained ongoing.

Police said support was being provided to the man’s whānau and declined to comment further at this stage.

SunLive reported last week that police had been searching for Billy-Joe Pereniki.

Pereniki was last seen at home around 2pm on August 30 but hasn’t been seen or heard from since, police said via social media post.

Ngāi Tama Haua hapū has placed a rāhui across the Ōpape area, with the beach closed to people and vehicles until further notice, a Facebook post from News Whakatāne said.

The rāhui asks the community to pause and give the area, the whānau and those carrying out the recovery the respect and space they need.