Liam Payne’s sister has recalled the moment his tragic death ‘popped up on her phone’ in an emotional tribute.

Last week the music world was rocked by the news that singer and former One Direction member Liam had passed away after falling from a third floor balcony at his hotel in Argentina’s capital city Buenos Aires.

A preliminary autopsy has since revealed the singer had died from multiple traumas and ‘internal and external haemorrhage’, with his father Geoff currently in the South American country.

In the days following the 31-year-old singer’s death, tributes have flooded in from fans around the world while his loved ones and former 1D members have shared their reaction to the devastating news.

Liam’s sister Nicola is the latest person to share an emotional statement online, revealing the heartbreaking way she learned of her brother’s death.

Taking to Instagram, she wrote: “When I saw the news pop up on my phone that you had left us I went cold, I wanted so much for this to be untrue.

“I have spent days hoping that it was a mistake and somebody has got it wrong.”

She then went on to say her brother ‘lived for making people smile’ and that she hoped he had ‘found peace’.

“You were truly too good for this earth, you are an angel who just lived for making people smile and happy

“You have always shown kindness to everyone you met and it shows with just how many people have confirmed what we always knew!”

She continued: “You led your life with a motto of why bother doing something unless you are brilliant at it, and Liam you were certainly brilliant at everything you did!!

“Unfortunately this cruel world is always to quick to judge someone from a few 5 second clips, they then think it entitles them to be able to speak like they know you. We knew you and we loved you.”

(Instagram/@np2788)

She added: “I hope you have finally found peace up there and that you’ll continue to look after us all as you have done in life.

“We will make sure Bear knows about his daddy and how much you loved him, we promise this.”

Nicola’s tribute follows one from Liam’s former girlfriend Danielle Peazer, who revealed the singer had recently reached out to her in the weeks leading up to his death.

“Receiving a message from you a couple of weeks ago expressing your happiness for the love I found with Sonny [Jay] and Mia is something I’ll cherish forever,” she wrote, referring to her current partner DJ Sonny Jay and their daughter Mia.

“I’m sorry your story didn’t end differently, and I’m sorry you didn’t ever get to share more of your magic with the world. Rest easy my friend. Love Danielle x.”