Liam Payne’s father visited the hotel in Argentina where his son died as he read a tribute left for the One Direction star.
Jeff Payne was seen reading messages and looking at flowers placed outside the Casa Sur Hotel in the capital, Buenos Aires.
He was watched by a crowd of mourners.
Sky correspondent Marta Kellner in Buenos Aires said: “Geoff stopped every now and then to put on his glasses to read the notes written in English and took the pictures to kiss them.
“He also thanked the fans for being there.”
Follow the latest: Cheryl posts about Liam Payne’s death
The singer died at age 31 on Wednesday after falling from a hotel third-floor balcony.
Payne’s father arrived in Argentina on Friday to arrange for his son’s body to be returned to the UK.
He was earlier seen leaving another hotel in the city, accompanied by British consulate officials and security officials.
Argentine officials said Payne visited the city’s morgue to identify his son before meeting with local prosecutors to arrange for his body to be repatriated.
Local media reported that he is expected to pick up some of his son’s belongings during the visit.
On Thursday, Payne’s relatives said in a joint statement they were “broken” by his death.
They added: “Liam will live forever in our hearts and we will remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.
“We are supporting each other as best we can as a family and are asking for privacy and space at this terrible time.”
Read more:
Grief as details of the star’s final hours emerge
Liam Payne: A Life in Pictures
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What we know about Liam Payne’s death
Payne has expressed gratitude to his parents during several media interviews in recent years.
His father, a mechanic, and mother, a nurse, made cameos in One Direction: This Is Us, a 2013 concert documentary about the band.
“When I see him on stage, I’m bursting with pride, but we miss him so much,” Payne’s mother, Karen, said at one point in the film.
Jeff Payne was seen earlier at another hotel in the city. Photo: Reuters
Tributes have poured in since his death, including from his One Direction bandmates, who issued a joint statement and their personal messages.
Simon Cowell – who mentored the band on The X Factor and later signed them to his label – paid tribute to Paine on Friday night, saying he was “really devastated” and felt “empty.”
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Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, who was in a relationship with Payne between 2016 and 2018 and had a son with him in 2017, also opened up about her heartbreak on Friday and attack “disgusting” reports around his death.
