Three people charged in connection with Liam Payne's death in Argentina last month

THREE PEOPLE HAVE been charged in connection with the death of singer Liam Payne, the public prosecutor’s office in Argentina said.

The public prosecutor’s office said the three people have been charged with “abandonment of a person followed by death” and supply and facilitation of narcotics.

According to a translation of the statement, prosecutors said “exhaustive and meticulous measures were taken to clarify the circumstances” around the former One Direction singer’s death.

Prosecutors said one of the accused was accompanying the singer on a daily basis in Argentina, while another was an employee at the hotel where Payne was staying.

The third person allegedly supplied drugs.

The statement said officials in Argentina had carried out a forensic analysis of Payne’s phone, including his call and message history, and also reviewed 800 hours of video footage from security cameras at the hotel and on nearby roads.

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Nine raids have also been ordered on properties in Buenos Aires and the investigation continues with some of Payne’s devices still being analysed.

Payne was found dead on October 16 after plunging from the balcony of his third-floor room at the CasaSur Hotel in the Argentinian capital.

His father began repatriating the singer’s body to Britain yesterday, a police source told news agency AFP.

His death at age 31 prompted a global outpouring of grief and condolences from family, former bandmates, fans and others.

It also prompted a debate about whether the music industry has a duty of care for the mental health of stars who find fame at a young age.

Payne had spoken publicly about struggles with substance abuse and coping with fame from an early age.

Hotel staff had called emergency services twice to report a guest “overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol” who was “destroying” a hotel room.