A neighbour to Liam Payne’s home in Buckinghamshire has said he was “the most down to earth and helpful guy”, following his death.

Thomas Evans, 17, who lives in St Turners Wood Drive, Chalfont St Giles, told the PA news agency that the former One Direction singer once came out of his house at 3am one night to come and check on Thomas and his siblings after they had an intruder on their property.

The incident took place about six months ago, Mr Evans said. He was staying at his home with his older brother, his older sister, and a friend, when someone tried to break into their property.

He said: “At about half past 2am, we saw a shadow through the window and realised there was an intruder on our driveway. There was quite a commotion.

“Liam just heard some kids shouting and, bless him, he came over. He didn’t have to.”

Mr Evans chuckled as he recalled seeing Mr Payne come out through the gates at Foxwood and walk over to his home “wearing the most bizarre clothes to be wearing at 3am”.

He said: “He had a full on top hat, an overcoat, and these checkered trousers. He told us, ‘I heard some shouting and screaming, are you okay?’ We called the police and he stayed with us until they arrived. We had small talk, just to calm us down.”

Mr Evans added that a friend of Liam Payne who stayed with him even flew his drone over Mr Evans’ land from Foxwood to “see if he could catch the intruder”, who had run away.

He said: “It was all sorted in the end.

“But that’s just one example of him being a really nice guy.”

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Mr Evans said Mr Payne moved into Foxwood about a year and a half ago “to be closer to Cheryl Cole and his kid”.

He added: “I want to put some positive things about him out there. There has never been any negativity from him, ever.

“He has kept his private life. People respected that. He has been absolutely no trouble.”

The college student said that he learnt of Mr Payne’s death in the early hours on Thursday when his sister rang him.

He said: “She called me at 1am and said, ‘Liam Payne is dead’. I was like, what?

“I didn’t believe it. It still doesn’t feel real.”

Mr Evans added that his mother, who lives with him at the address in Turners Wood Drive, is “distraught” at the news of her famous neighbour’s death.

“She feels quite guilty that there was someone living in the house right next to her and may have been struggling – and she didn’t help.”