Liam Payne’s funeral to be held this week but his manager Roger Nores ‘not welcome’

Liam Payne will be laid to rest this week but a key figure who saw him before he fell to his death has been told to stay away.

Liam Payne’s funeral will be held this week, one month after he fatally fell from his third floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires.

However, his manager Roger Nores has been told he “is not welcome” at the ceremony which is due to take place in Payne’s home town of Wolverhampton.

Nores is currently being investigated by Argentinian authorities in relation to Payne’s death, with the businessman last seeing the singer at the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires shortly before he tragically fell.

“Liam’s family want his funeral to go off without a hitch and right now opinions are strained when it comes to Roger,” a source told The Sun.

Flowers and pictures to former One Direction singer Liam Payne are displayed in his hometown in Wolverhampton, central England. Picture: AFP

“It’s true he and Liam had a bond, but he’s never been popular when it comes to Liam’s wider circle.

“There is a difference in the narrative, Roger would say he stepped back from working with Liam – others would say he was pushed.

“Many people didn’t even know Liam and Roger had reconnected until his fateful trip to Argentina last month.

“Due to the ongoing investigation in Argentina, he’s not welcome at this week’s service.”

In the days leading up to Payne’s death, he had been with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy at Nores’ home.

Nores had even joined the pair on a trip to see Payne’s bandmate Niall Horan, 31, perform at the Movistar Arena.

Liam Payne fell to his death from a Buenos Aires hotel balcony on October 16. Picture: AFP

Local media have reported that Nores is one of the three people arrested in connection with the singer’s death.

Nores has denied allegations of abandonment but confirmed he has spoken to police.

“I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel 3 times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened,” the multi-millionaire previously said.

“There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left.

“I could have never imagined something like this would happen. I’ve given my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven’t spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since”.

“‘I wasn’t Liam’s manager he was just my very dear friend and please refer to the email I sent to Liam and his team on August 23.”

Flowers and tributes for One Direction's Liam Payne are seen in the bandstand of West Park not far from Payne’s hometown in Wolverhampton, England. Picture: Getty Images

However, despite his claims, The Sun has seen emails which confirm that Nores was heading up Payne’s career and resigned over a deal with Los Angeles based talent agency CAA earlier this year.

‘UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP' LED TO PAYNE’S DEATH

It comes as more details were released last week claiming that Payne’s meeting with a suspected drug dealer may have led directly to his tragic death.

Braian Nahuel Paiz has been alleged to be the singer’s drug dealer while the other two unnamed persons charged were a hotel employee, who allegedly provided Payne with cocaine, and someone who was allegedly close to the late singer.

The Daily Mail alleged that Paiz met Payne at the hotspot Cabana Las Lilas where Paiz was working as a waiter.

Payne and his girlfriend were believed to be at the restaurant the night he went to see his former One Direction bandmate in the Argentinian capital.

According to the Daily Mail, the chance meeting between Payne and Paiz started “an unlikely friendship that Argentinian prosecutors believe helped lead directly to the singer’s tragic and untimely death just two weeks later.”

Braian Nahuel Paiz denies supplying Liam Payne with drugs. Picture: Telefe Noticias

Paiz, pictured with Payne, has admitted meeting with the singer twice at his hotel. Picture: Instagram

Paiz has said he met with the singer twice in the hotel.

He told Argentinian TV he took drugs with Payne but did not supply any narcotics.

It comes as Payne’s devastated family make arrangements for his funeral in his native Wolverhampton.

The farewell ceremony for the singer is slated to occur at either St Peter’s Church in Wolverhampton or St Paul’s Church in Pendeford, which lies nearer to where Payne grew up.

CCTV SHOWS LIAM PAYNE HOURS BEFORE DEATH

Harrowing CCTV footage has captured Payne speaking with a hotel employee accused of delivering him drugs, just three hours before his death.

In exclusive video obtained by TMZ, Payne can be seen stepping out of an elevator in the basement of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, chatting with one of three people charged in connection with his death.

TMZ cites unnamed sources saying that the staffer seen shaking hands and chatting with Payne in the video is Ezequiel David Pereyra, who police allege delivered drugs to the singer in a soap box.

A candle and traces of white powder on a table of the hotel room where Liam Payne was staying in Buenos Aires. Picture: Buenos Aires Police

Pereyra is seen stacking chairs in the basement with other hotel staffers when the elevator door opens and Payne pops out before the pair exchange words and slap hands and then Pereyra heads out through a doorway

PAYNE’S ROLEX MISSING

Payne’s $60,000 Rolex watch had been declared missing, with police suspecting the watch, which Payne was wearing in the hours before he died, was stolen.

Prosecutors said they raided the hotel multiple times during which they searched the employees lockers and reviewed 800 hours of CCTV from the hotel CasaSur Palermo, where Payne was staying.

Payne died after falling from his hotel balcony. Picture: AFP

A toxicology report completed as part of the autopsy revealed traces of pink cocaine – a combination of methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA – in his system, as well as cocaine and benzodiazepine.

Police also found an improvised aluminium pipe used to smoke crack cocaine in his suite.

The English pop star died instantly, according to the post mortem, suffering multiple injuries as he fell almost 14m from the balcony onto the concrete footpath below.

Originally published as Liam Payne’s funeral to be held this week but his manager Roger Nores ‘not welcome’