Earlier this week, former One Direction members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan reunited after years under the unlikeliest condition in the wake of bandmate Liam Payne’s untimely demise in October.

The sombre event took place at the memorial service in Amersham, England. Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, his ex and the mother of his son Bear, Chery Cole, and The X Factor icon Simon Cowell, who helped form One Direction, among others, were also in attendance. The intimate memorial was organised only for family and close friends.

Now that the English singer has finally been laid to rest after a weeks-long wait since his tragic fall in Argentina, church authorities are bracing for the worst to take over a desperate lot of fans. Officials are reportedly beefing up the security around the churchyard of St Mary’s in Amersham.

Insider reveals church elders' fears after Liam Payne's funeral

“The church authorities are braced for an army of fans who are set to descend on Liam's final resting place,” a showbiz insider recently told RadarOnline. “There is bound to be a lot of interest in the first few weeks and there is a worry that devotees will be tempted to take items left in honour of Liam.”

As merely days have passed since the late 31-year-old Brit star’s funeral, “there is talk of manning the spot with a couple of round-the-clock security guards.” This investment in thorough security checks will reportedly be in place for “at least the first couple of weeks while interest quietens and things get back to ‘normal.’”

The source added, “The last thing his grieving family needs is the prospect of graver robbers rearing their ugly heads.”

Pictures of the funeral revealed floral displays honouring Payne’s memory. Even the doorways of the 12th-century church were heartwarmingly decked with red and orange leaves and white roses.

The “Teardrops” singer passed over on October 16 after unexpectedly falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires and sustaining head injuries. In early November, Argentine prosecutors confirmed that Liam consumed cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant before his death. Around the same time, police arrested three people in connection with his demise. They have been accused of providing him with narcotics.

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