Don’t let under-18s join pop bands, says leading songwriter after Liam Payne’s death

Guy Chambers among industry figures calling for changes in wake of former One Direction star's tragic death

Under-18s should not be pushed into pop stardom, one of the UK's leading songwriters has said, in the wake of the tragic death of former One Direction star Liam Payne.

As Payne's father, Geoff, arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to arrange the repatriation of his son's body, fans were still taking in the news of the 31-year-old's fall from a third-floor hotel balcony. Many also joined the Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy, an ex-partner, in decrying the lurid coverage of Payne's death scene in some news outlets.