Liam Payne's memorial in London draws hundreds of fans to mourn his death

Hundreds gathered in London's Kensington Gardens on Sunday (October 20) to mourn Liam Payne as fans around the world mourned the One Direction singer who died this week.

The directors, known supporters of the band's huge success, left tributes in London, Glasgow, Paris, Sydney and New York this weekend as they celebrated the life of the 31-year-old who died on Wednesday (October 16) after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

In London, they clapped and sang after gathering near a statue of JM Barrie's Peter Pan, the fictional boy who never grew up. Mourners, mostly young women, left heart-shaped balloons, photos and flowers at the base of the statue, which sits next to a narrow path next to a waterway known as The Long Water.

Aware of the crowd in the limited space, organizers asked fans to leave their tributes and then move away to allow others to approach the statue.

Fans Lauren Anderson and Natasha Bradley, both 23, said they wanted to be with others who shared their grief.

“Your parents don't really understand how much [One Direction] it really meant a lot to you growing up,” Bradley said, explaining why she came to the park.

The vigils followed those held outside the Casa Sur hotel in the elegant Palermo district of the Argentine capital shortly after Paine fell from his third-floor hotel room. The four surviving members of One Direction released a joint statement saying they were “absolutely devastated” by their bandmate's death.

In Paris' Tuileries Gardens, hundreds of fans — many of them weeping and carrying flowers — gathered to remember Paine.

They sang songs and comforted each other. Some lit candles. Others brought pictures and artwork of Paine, as well as notes, letters and bouquets of flowers. About 400 people attended the rally, overlooking Paris's historic Place de la Concorde.

Distraught Emilie Houdinet, 26, said she had been a fan of the band since 2011.

“They helped me. They were there throughout my teenage years until the age of 18. They were a bit like fathers to us,” she said. “They were just a boy band, but they were very important to us.”

One Direction gained worldwide popularity soon after the group was formed in 2010 by five young singers who auditioned for the The X Factora British television talent show. The band disbanded in 2016 after producing five albums that sold more than 70 million copies.