THOUSANDS of heartbroken fans have gathered at emotional vigils around the world today in memory of former One Direction star Liam Payne.
The singer, 31, plunged 45 feet from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.
Flowers, letters and drawings were laid in Hyde Park this afternoon as hundreds of emotional One Direction fans gathered to pay their respects at the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens.
The heartbreaking event, which started at 2pm, was organised by loyal supporters "in memory of Liam" to "honour his shining spirit and unforgettable impact".
One person said the crowds were "growing by the minute" and "fans will be waiting hours to lay down their tributes".
1D fan Tess Hayden, from the US, ended her visit to Ireland so she could share her grief with the scores of other mourners.
The 24-year-old, who was on holiday with her brother in Dublin when she heard the news, said: "Well, my older brother and I had been planning a trip to Dublin for a while, and I knew I was gonna try and come to London at some point at the end of the trip, but when I woke up and heard the news, I was like, 'okay, I'll just go a day earlier (and) try and figure (it) out."
Ms Hayden added that it was "very surreal" as a death at 31 is "very sad and devastating, and shocking".
"It's a reminder of what a huge part of my childhood and growing up, Liam and One Direction were," she also said.
Fellow fans, Lauren Anderson and Natasha Bradley, both 23, also attended the London memorial.
Ms Bradley said it was "hard trying to get over it".
She added: "I've literally been feeling so sad like ever since the news came on, I just didn't believe that."
The supporter also said "Lauren's been the one that I've been speaking to the most about it", and she wanted to be around people who were "feeling the same because your parents, they don't really understand how much they really meant to you growing up".
Lauren, 26, from Kent, told the PA news agency: "It's more comforting being with other people, because these people get it, whereas back at home, you're just kind of on your own, and it's quite tough, you're stuck in your own thoughts, and here you can talk about it."
Lauren added that Liam's passing was hard to accept because it "was completely out of the blue".
Directioners have also gathered in the singer's hometown to leave touching tributes.
Bouquets and messages of support have been laid outside St. Peter's collegiate church in Wolverhampton to remember the former One Direction singer.
Fans have also held tributes in Scotland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and Japan this afternoon.
Glasgow saw thousands come out and pay their respects to Liam, with balloons, candles, flowers and singing.
Meanwhile, makeshift memorials were also set up in the Tuilleries Garden, in Paris, France, today.
Hundreds gathered in front of candles, flowers and heartbreaking pictures of Liam in One Direction.
Supporters in Madrid showed their love for the star too today and demonstrated how powerful his legacy is with their tributes.
Directioners broke down in tears and embraced each other at the memorial at Plaza de Santa Ana this afternoon.
Photographs shared on social media also revealed hundreds of flowers and framed pictures of Liam left at a tribute in Utrecht, in the Netherlands.
Fans in Munich were also spotted in Munich, Germany, laying drawings and red candles at their own vigil.
Similar scenes were recorded in Milan, Italy, were hoards of One Direction fans wore red to the touching event.
Red balloons were also released into the sky as others wrote heartfelt messages on love-heart shaped notes.
Across the globe in Sydney, Australia, more fans showed their love for the singer with their own memorial.
Elsewhere, in Tokyo, Japan, hundreds of candles were lit after the sun had set last night to honour Liam.
Liam's family said after his passing: "We are heartbroken.
"Liam will forever live in our hearts and we'll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.
"We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space during this awful time."
Liam's loved ones made a desperate dash to South America late on Wednesday night just hours after learning the heartbreaking news.
Footage taken outside the Casa Sur hotel on Friday showed sombre father Geoff Payne bending down to read messages written to his son.
It comes as...
According to a source with the Buenos Aires City police, the pop star's body has been returned to his family by the prosecutor looking into his untimely death.
They are currently finishing the necessary paperwork to have his body repatriated, the Buenos Aires Herald was told.
Champagne, prescription drugs, white powder and foil wraps were all found in Liam's trashed hotel room after the fatal fall at around 5pm (9pm UK time).
Fellow hotel guests revealed the star had been acting in a "disturbing" manner shortly before his fall, with Liam admitting to one woman: "I used to be in a boy band - that's why I'm so f**ked up."
But Liam's pals claim the singer was clean just days before his death.
Sources close to the star said he entered Argentina on September 30 with the aim of renewing his expired US visa.
They claim that when Liam spoke to US embassy officials, they queried his previous stints in rehab and said he needed to take a drug test to prove he was clean to renew his visa.
A source said: "The embassy said he needed to do a strict investigation including X-rays and a blood test to search for traces of drugs.
"He was completely clean the Thursday before he died.
"On the weekend at his friend's ranch, he was completely sober."
An insider said Liam was examined by a US Embassy-certified doctor and that he collected his results, which showed he was clean, on Tuesday.
The source said Liam's good friend Roger last saw the star for ten minutes on Wednesday, and that he left the hotel at 3.30pm.
The insider said: "Roger told him, 'I've got to run' and Liam said, 'Go do your own thing'. That was the last thing they said to each other."
They added: "Roger is upset - at one point on Wednesday he was phoned by a hotel manager who said they had found Liam asleep on the floor of the elevator.
"They moved him to the sofa in the hotel lobby but the manager said he couldn't stay there, and that he needed to go to his room.
"In the emergency call, they said they were worried Liam's life was in danger because he was in a room with a balcony.
"Why didn't they just let him stay sleeping in the lobby if they were worried about this?"
A pal of Roger told us: "Liam's behaviour hadn't been off at all - he was happy."
It comes as another source claimed Liam "could have been saved" before he fell to his death if an ambulance had been called earlier.
They told the Mail: "If someone had called an ambulance when he collapsed in the hotel lobby instead of taking him back to his room and leaving him in there alone, in a psychotic state, he would still be with us."
It comes as The Sun on Sunday revealed yesterday how the singer spent his final hours with two women.
The former One Direction star invited Aldana Serrano, 31, and Lucila Goitea, 27, to his hotel.
They arrived at Liam's luxury suite in the swanky CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at around 11.30am on Wednesday, before leaving at 4pm.
Liam, 31, was reportedly seen arguing with one woman over money in the hotel's lobby.
A source said: "Aldana and Lucila are absolutely devastated by what happened after they left the hotel.
"They co-operated with the police as soon as they were contacted and wanted to help with the investigation as much as possible.
"Police have the girls' phone numbers and they will contact them as and when they need if they feel they need any more information."
In the hours before his death, dad-of one Liam had shared Snapchat posts detailing his plans to play polo and showing what he had for breakfast, despite it being 1pm.
Girlfriend Kate Cassidy, 25, could be heard saying they were "losers" for getting up so late.
Liam had also been filmed dancing and meeting fans at 1D pal Niall Horan's concert on October 2 before a selfie of the reunited ex-bandmates was shared online.
The star had arrived in Argentina on September 30 with Kate and was seen at Niall's show dancing and meeting fans on October 2.
Liam and Kate were staying at Hotel CasaSur in the neighbourhood of Palermo when he died.
Crowds of fans gathered behind a cordon outside the accommodation last night.
Tributes have poured in for Liam with celebrities and fans alike sharing their heartbreak.
A spokesperson for the security ministry of Buenos Aires said police were called to the hotel by a worker about an "aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol".
Witnesses at the hotel said Liam smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room in the erratic incident earlier in the day, TMZ reports.
Cops found Liam dead in the hotel's inner courtyard at around 5pm local time (9pm UK time) when they arrived.
A red tent was put up over the body as cops began the investigation into the tragic death before the body was taken to the morgue.
The spokesperson for the local ambulance service said Liam's death had been confirmed on the spot after he had fallen and suffered severe injuries.
A spokesman said: "The alarm was raised at 5.04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur.
"At 5.11pm an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead.
The singer first auditioned for the X Factor as a solo artist in 2008, aged just 14, but was eliminated.
Two years later he tried again and was included as part of boyband One Direction, formed by music mogul Simon Cowell especially for the ITV show.
After reaching the final stages of the competition, the band went onto huge global success, becoming one of the highest selling boybands of all time.
They went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.
The following year, Liam released solo single Strip That Down, featuring US rapper Quavo, which peaked at number three and was nominated for two Brit Awards.
He released his only solo album LP1 in 2019.
The singer began dating Girls Aloud member and former X Factor judge Cheryl in 2016.
In March 2017 the couple welcomed son Bear. They split the following year.
He had an on-off, three-year relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry which was said to have ended for good in May, 2022.
Earlier this week Henry called in the lawyers after accusing Liam of repeatedly messaging her, her friends, and her mum.
The singer had been open about his battles with drugs.
In 2021, he blamed a "pills and booze phase" for bloating his face to "ten times the size", while also revealing he used to guzzle the contents of his mini bar when band chiefs checked the lads into hotels to keep fans at bay.
In 2019, Liam revealed he suffered suicidal thoughts as he struggled with his fame on Ant Middleton And Liam Payne: Straight Talking.
He said: "For some certain circumstances I'm quite lucky to be here still.
"There are times when that level of loneliness and people getting into you every day, it's like, 'When will this end?' That's almost nearly killed me a couple of times."
He is survived by his son Bear, seven, his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
Payne developed a love of performing as a schoolboy at St Peter's Collegiate School in Compton and had studied music at Wolverhampton College before auditioning on the X Factor as a teenager.
Liam's former school St Peter's Collegiate Academy said today: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our former student, Liam Payne.
"During his time at St Peter's Collegiate Academy, Liam was not only well-liked by his peers and teachers but also recognised for his talents.
"He made a positive impact on our school community, and his contributions will be remembered.
"Our thoughts are with Liam's family and friends during this difficult time. We extend our sincere condolences to all those affected by his passing."
Louise Fall, principal and chief executive at Wolverhampton College, said: "We were sorry to hear the news about former student Liam Payne and wish to extend our sympathies to his family and friends at this very sad time."
Liam was also a West Bromwich Albion fan and the club paid tribute to the singer on X, formerly Twitter.
They said: "We're shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Baggies fan and musician, Liam Payne.
"Our thoughts are with Liam's family, friends and loved ones at this tragic time."
Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre also paid tribute to Liam, who last visited the venue in 2013.
The statement read: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Liam Payne this morning and of course his millions of fans, with whom we share immense grief.
"We are always so proud of Wolverhamptoners whose talent propels them to stardom on stage, screen and music.
"Liam last visited the Grand Theatre as an audience member during the height of One Direction in 2013, we know memories of that night will last long the memories of those who met him."