Liam Payne fan's tribute as mourners attend singer's funeral

The One Direction star died at the age of 31 last month after falling from a hotel balcony window in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A private service for Payne's family and closest friends took place today in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, with his former bandmates among those in attendance.

Zoey Minshull, who has been a huge One Direction since they first appeared on The X Factor in 2010, wrote a poem dedicated to Payne.

The 31-year-old said: "I absolutely loved One Direction, their music never failed to put a smile on my face."

Her poem reads: "Today is the day the world tells you goodbye, so many tears falling from so many eyes.

"One Direction gave you the fame and love across the globe, but for your family and friends this is love was always known.

"Fly high angel Liam and continue to shine, you will always be in our hearts that's the story of our lives."

Former bandmate Harry Styles arrives at the funeral of Liam Payne (Image: Andrew Matthews/PA)

Payne rose to fame alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan when Simon Cowell put them together to form One Direction the ITV talent show.

He had first auditioned in 2008 when he was 14, singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, with judge Cowell telling him to return two years later.

In 2010 he impressed the judges with Michael Buble’s version of Cry Me A River before being put with four other solo hopefuls at the boot camp stage of the competition – the group which later became One Direction.

Payne went on to launch a successful solo career, releasing his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019, which included the songs Polaroid and Strip That Down featuring Quavo.

He and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, who were in a relationship between 2016 and 2018, share a son, Bear.