Liam Payne's former One Direction bandmates "will take some time to grieve" his death

They said: "We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing. 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. (sic)"

One Direction have been on an indefinite hiatus since 2016, but Louis has already hailed Liam as the "most vital part" of the chart-topping band.

Louis, 32 - who joined One Direction in 2010, after auditioning on the UK version of 'The X Factor' - said in his own statement on Instagram: "Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band.

"And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam. (sic)"