'One Direction have brought me my best friends'

Eimear Mitchell, organiser, said she fell to the ground when she heard Liam had died

Fans gathered in Liam Payne’s home city as a vigil was held in memory of the late singer.

Up to 100 people looked on with their heads bowed as candles were lit and flowers were laid at the foot of the Lady Wulfrun statue outside St Peter’s Church in Wolverhampton on Friday.

The vigil came two days after the former One Direction star, 31, fell to his death from the third floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Eimear Mitchell, from Birmingham, said she organised the event after she saw vigils had been held across the world but not in his home city.

A vigil was held in Liam Payne's memory in his home city of Wolverhampton

“It’s hard to describe what One Direction means to One Direction fans. A lot of us have been there since day one, which 15 or 14 years of our lives,” she told BBC Midlands Today.

“One Direction have brought me my best friends – the reason I met my best friends was because I went to a Harry Styles show and I wouldn’t have gone to that show if it wasn’t for One Direction.

“They’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life, so they mean the world, and losing a part of that is horrible.”

She said the pain of losing him was more than she could have ever imagined, adding that she “fell to the floor” upon hearing the news of his death.

People gathered in Wolverhampton to pay their respects to Liam Payne

Members of the crowd at the vigil, made up of mostly women, could be seen holding back tears as people went up to the statue, the bottom of which was covered in pictures of Liam.

Ms Mitchell said she wrote “Wolverhampton’s own” on the sign placed on the statue to reflect Liam’s roots.

“He rose to this huge amount of fame that no-one thought was possible. It’s horrible to think that he’s not here anymore,” she said.

People at the vigil lit candles and placed flowers at the foot of the statue

Payne, who grew up in the Bushbury area of the city, was confirmed dead by Argentinian police after officers were called following concerns about the musician’s behaviour.

Since the announcement of his death, tributes have flooded in from celebrities, including his former band members and ex-wife Cheryl Cole, along with people who knew him during his childhood.