One Direction stars join family and friends at funeral

Family, friends and former bandmates of One Direction star Liam Payne are attending the singer’s funeral, just over a month after he died at the age of 31.

The private service is taking place on Wednesday in Buckinghamshire, north-west of London.

The musician died after falling from a third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October.

Payne’s former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik are among the guests, alongside Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy.

Girls Aloud singers Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts are also attending the service, as are presenters James Corden, Marvin and Rochelle Humes, Scott Mills and Adrian Chiles.

Floral tributes at the funeral include one in the shape of a set of 10-pin bowling pins and ball, a reference to one of Payne’s favourite pastimes.

A small crowd of onlookers gathered outside the church, but fans have largely stayed away, with members of the One Direction group on Reddit reminding others that “memorials are for fans, funerals are for family”.

In a short statement following his death, Payne’s family said: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.”

An autopsy confirmed the 31-year-old had suffered internal and external bleeding and multiple traumatic injuries sustained as a result of the fall.

Payne was one of the most recognisable names in pop, after rising to fame on The X Factor.

Despite only coming third on the show in 2010, One Direction went on to become the biggest British group since The Beatles.

During their five-year career, they sold 70 million records, with four UK number one singles and four number one albums.

A co-writer on many of their hits, Payne also achieved solo success with tracks like Strip That Down and Bedroom Floor.

He is survived by his parents, two sisters and Bear, his son with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl.