Former One Direction star Liam Payne has been found dead at the age of 31, according to reports.

According to the Associated Press, local officials in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires said Payne is understood to have died in a fall at a hotel.

Payne was part of the original line-up of the world famous boy band One Direction, formed after finishing third on ITV's The X Factor in 2010.

Other band members included Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles.

One Direction became one of the biggest pop groups in the world, with five albums and four world tours, before taking an indefinite break in 2016.

Payne released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the singles Polaroid and Familiar.

He and former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl share a son, Bear, born in 2017, having been in a high-profile relationship between 2016 and 2018.