Liam Payne’s neighbors have spoken of their shock at his death and paid tribute to a “big guy” who once bravely rushed to help when a neighbor caught a trespasser.
Residents living near the star’s £3.5million home in Buckinghamshire say they are struggling to come to terms with the news of his fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday night.
They said Liam was a popular part of the community and had rushed out of his mansion six months ago to help a neighbor after hearing screams and shouts from a nearby property.
Thomas Evans said Payne rushed to help him and his family after they caught a man lurking in their driveway in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire.
He said police arrived minutes later at his house and couldn’t believe the One Direction star was there with them in a top hat, coat and plaid suit pants.
Liam Payne’s neighbor Thomas Evans revealed that the singer once rushed to help him and his family after they caught a man lurking in their driveway.
He said the police arrived at his house minutes later and couldn’t believe the One Direction star was there with them (Pictured: Payne in Argentina hours before his tragic death).
Liam Payne with his father Geoff and mother Karen after the X Factor final in London in 2010
In addition to his father Geoff and mother Karen, Payne had two sisters, Nicola (left) and Ruth (right).
Paying tribute to the down-to-earth star, Thomas told MailOnline: “Liam was a very genuine and humble person.
“He lived a quiet life here. He was a reserved guy, but he was a warm person who always greeted you with a smile and stopped to talk for a while.
‘About six months ago my mother was away, so I was at home with my brother and sister and we saw someone’s shadow pass through a ground floor window.
‘We ran out and caught someone hanging around the house. It must have been around 2am and it was pitch black outside.
‘Naturally, we screamed and shouted to scare away this intruder. There was a lot of commotion and it was a tense situation.
“About 20 minutes later, this guy came around the corner as I was walking through the front door and said, ‘I heard a lot of screaming and yelling, I just wanted to check that everyone was okay.'”
‘It was Liam. Luckily he was awake. I don’t know if he had been somewhere and had just returned, but he was wearing strange clothes for that time of morning.
He was wearing a top hat, a coat and plaid suit pants.
“The intruder had already escaped, but we were all quite shaken and he could see it, so he spoke to us very calmly and made small talk to help us calm down.
Paying tribute to the down-to-earth star, Thomas told MailOnline: “Liam was a very genuine and humble person (pictured: Liam’s first audition for X Factor in 2008, when he was just 14).
(From left) Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan (seated) Liam Payne and Harry Styles in 2010
Last night, thousands of fans gathered outside the hotel where Liam Payne died.
Fans place candles outside hotel where Liam Payne was found dead
Fans of singer Liam Payne light candles in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Excited fans photographed outside the Casa Sur Palmero hotel this
‘The police arrived shortly after and officers had to look again when they saw Liam standing in the driveway.
“They approached him first for a statement and almost forgot about us for a moment.
‘Liam had a friend with him who had a drone and he set it up to see if we could catch the intruder.
‘Overall I would say Liam was with us for about 40 minutes and only left when he knew we were all safe and sound.
—I think that’s how the man is. He didn’t have to leave his house in the middle of the night to see a bunch of kids screaming and yelling, but he did. None of the neighbors came out to check on us.
University student Thomas said Liam moved to the sprawling property, near the Chilterns, just over a year ago.
He added: “I heard he moved here to be closer to his ex-wife Cheryl as they have a young son together and she only lives on the same street.”
‘I spoke to Liam several times after that incident, usually to leave him his mail which had arrived by mistake. Sometimes he left our mail.
He will always be very polite and happy to see you. We would have a few words by the door.
On one occasion I went to give her her email, but Maya Henry answered. She seemed nice too.
‘The last time I saw him was about a fortnight ago, when I saw him walking through the front door as I passed by. I waved at him a little.
A heartbreaking video shows Liam Payne singing and dancing at his former bandmate Niall Horan’s home, where he later posted a photo with Niall on Snapchat with the caption: “Reunited.”
“My sister called me just before 1 a.m. and said, ‘Liam Payne is dead,’ and I thought she was wrong. I couldn’t believe it; I was hoping it was a fake Internet rumor.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, he was a great guy and looked after us.”
Other neighbors revealed their shock and sadness.
One woman, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s really tragic, he has a son who will now grow up without him.”
‘My heart goes out to them. I really feel guilty that he was so close but struggling mentally.
“No one really knew anything about it as it was largely kept secret.”