BGT auditions postponed after Liam Payne's death

BGT Presenters Ant McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly (Ant and Dec) leave The Grand Hotel in Lytham Saint Annes, Lancashire after auditions are suspended

Auditions for the next series of Britain's Got Talent (BGT) have been cancelled following the death of former X Factor contestant and One Direction star Liam Payne.

A statement posted on social media said the auditions in Blackpool had been halted.

"Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today's auditions in Blackpool," Applause Store said on Instagram.

BGT presenters Ant and Dec were seen leaving The Grand Hotel in Lytham earlier after the postponement had been announced.

The notice was posted on Instagram

It added: "We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

Payne died after falling from the third floor of a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Outside the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, there were supposed to be hundreds of fans queuing to get into the final day of auditions for Britain’s Got Talent.

Simon Cowell and his fellow judges had been filming there since Tuesday.

Instead, the crowds were told this morning that recording was cancelled and sent home.

Audition crowds were told this morning of the cancellation outside the Winter Gardens

The rows of metal fencing remain outside the popular venue but just security staff were present, with trucks parked at the back of the venue ready to pack up recording equipment.

One member of the production staff told the BBC that Simon Cowell had not been at the site today.

One Direction came third in the ITV talent show X Factor in 2010 and went onto to achieve global stardom.

Both X Factor and BGT feature Simon Cowell as a judge. He was actively involved in the creation and production of both shows.