Liam Payne's body returns home to UK today - three weeks on from tragic death in Argentina

The funeral of late One Direction star Liam Payne is set to take place later this week after his body was returned to the UK today following his tragic death in Argentina last month

Almost a month on from his death, Liam Payne's body will return home to the U.K on Wednesday, according to the BBC.

The funeral of the late dad-of-one is expected to take place later this week, nearly a month after the tragic death of the One Direction star. Liam tragically passed away at the age of 31 on October 16 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The private ceremony, which will celebrate the life of the X Factor star, follows numerous fan vigils held worldwide over the past few weeks. Ahead of the memorial, it has been confirmed to the BBC that Liam's body will be flown back to the U.K on Wednesday (November 6).

The Strip That Down singer's body had been held in Argentina while local authorities completed further toxicology and laboratory tests. Liam's body was released to his family on Wednesday, public prosecutor Andrés Madrea told the publicly-funded broadcaster. The singer's heartbroken father Geoff Payne has been in the country where his son died over recent weeks.

Earlier this week, Geoff was seen paying respects to his son, observing the sea of floral tributes laid by devastated fans outside the hotel in Buenos Aires. Geoff, visibly moved, joined the mourners, holding a red rose which he later added to the growing memorial. The grieving father was also seen embracing fans who presented him with a candle, which he respectfully placed at the base of a tree adorned with tributes.

A post-mortem report last month revealed Liam's death was due to "multiple traumas" and "internal and external haemorrhage", while Argentina's National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No 16 is treating the case as an "inconclusive death".

Last week, it was reported that Liam's body had been moved from a Buenos Aires morgue to the historic British Cemetery in the northern part of the Argentinian capital, following permission granted to his heartbroken father Geoff by prosecutors. Respected Argentinian daily La Nacion reported that Geoff was personally informed in a recent meeting with prosecution chief Andres Madrea that he could return to the UK with Liam's body two weeks after arriving in the South American country following his son's tragic three-storey hotel fall.

It stated: "All the documents are ready for the former One Direction singer to return to his homeland so a funeral can take place there next week. When Geoff Payne reached Argentina on October 18 he was told the repatriation process could take between four and five days, but because of the circumstances surrounding his son's death things took longer than expected."

Liam's journey home comes as Argentinian police reportedly conduct another series of raids in connection with the late singer's death. TMZ reports that law enforcement sources in Buenos Aires revealed that the raids took place on Tuesday night at the homes of two hotel workers and a 'friend' of the singer.

The officers also inspected the hotel lockers of the workers and scrutinised security footage from the CasaSur Palermo hotel. It's believed that these unidentified workers had contact with Liam before his tragic fall from the balcony of his third-floor room on October 16.

One of the singer's 'friends' was also identified through text messages, and it's being investigated who might have supplied the singer with drugs. The 'friend' the police wanted to question was not present during the raid. This is the second round of raids, following one at the hotel last month where electronic and paper records and videos of the hotel's underground area were seized. A post-mortem examination determined that Liam died from head injuries sustained during his fall.

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