PA MediaA teenager who was neighbours with Liam Payne praised the late star who he said once came to his aid after an attempted home invasion.
Thomas Evans, 17, who lives in St Turners Wood Drive, Chalfont St Giles, said the former One Direction singer came out of his house at 03:00am to check on Thomas and his siblings after their property was invaded by an intruder.
Payne, 31, died in Argentina after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, police said.
“Liam just heard some kids shouting and, bless him, he came over – He didn’t have to,” Thomas said.
“I want to put some positive things about him out there. There has never been any negativity from him, ever.”
The neighbour added that Payne came out through the gates of his Buckinghamshire house, Foxwood, and walked over wearing a top hat, an overcoat, and checked trousers.
He said the singer stayed with the teenager and his family while they waited for police to arrive.
One of Payne’s friends then flew his drone over Thomas’ house and land from Foxwood to “see if he could catch the intruder”.
ReutersPayne moved into Foxwood about a year and a half ago “to be closer to Cheryl Cole and his kid”, Thomas said.
“But that’s just one example of him being a really nice guy,” he added.
The college student said that he learnt of Payne’s death in the early hours on Thursday when his sister rang him.
He said: “She called me at 1am and said, ‘Liam Payne is dead’. I was like, what?
“I didn’t believe it. It still doesn’t feel real.”
Mr Evans added that his mother, who lives with him at the address in Turners Wood Drive, has been “distraught” at the news of her famous neighbour’s death.
“She feels quite guilty that there was someone living in the house right next to her and may have been struggling – and she didn’t help,” he said.