Liam Payne's funeral in location close to his heart after Cheryl romance

Liam Payne 's loved ones have headed to the Home Counties to lay the One Direction start to rest after his tragic death in October.

Over a month ago, the 31-year-old died after sustaining head injuries following a fall from the balcony of a third floor hotel room in Argentina. His funeral plans are largely still under wraps, but it's understood that just his closest friends and family will attend the ceremony.

Former One Direction members Harry Styles, 30, Niall Horan, 31, Zayn Malik, 31, and Louis Tomlinson, 32, are all expected to reunite for the occasion, in which Liam's devastated friends and family will say their goodbyes. He will be buried in one of the Home Counties during a private ceremony closed to the public today.

READ MORE - One Direction star Zayn Malik's heart-breaking gesture to Liam Payne ahead of funeral

READ MORE - A-list guestlist for Liam Payne funeral 'revealed' with just 'hours to go' before ceremony

The Home Counties is the counties of England that surround London - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey.

Liam has connections to the area after living there with partner Cheryl and their son Bear during the early years of their relationship. When the pair split Liam helped Cheryl buy a £3.7million (€4.4million) mansion to raise Bear, where she lived with her mum Joan.

It was first believed that one of the churches near Liam's childhood home in Wolverhampton would be the location of the funeral.

Liam Payne's memorial in Wolverhampton is already overflowing with tributes, as his hometown fans mourn their loss. Tributes were "respectfully relocated" by the council earlier this month, with a shrine of flowers, cards and a variety of tributes moved from the city centre. Photos on X show how the bandstand is full of vibrant flowers, letters, candles, balloons, teddies and photos, celebrating his life.

Following his shock death in October, the rest of One Direction released a joint statement, explaining how "devastated" they are. They said: "In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.

"The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam - Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry."

They also posted individual tributes, with Niall writing on Instagram: "We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn't happen often in a lifetime. I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn't know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It's heartbreaking. My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen Ruth, Nicola, and of course his son Bear. Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother. Nialler."

Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Clickthis linkto receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read ourPrivacy Notice.