Liam Payne Grave Robber Fears Sparked by Bleak Fan Plans to Pilfer Resting Place — With Warnings It Will Need 'Extra Security'

Thousands of grieving One Direction fans are set to make a pilgrimage of anguish to Liam Payne's grave after he was laid to rest at a star-studded service.

And that has raised fears that desperate fans will pilfer mementos from his final resting place, sparking fears the churchyard of St Mary’s in the quiet town of Amersham in the UK will need to be manned by security guards, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

A showbiz source told us: "The church authorities are braced for an army of fans who are set to descend on Liam's final resting place. 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 honor of Liam.

"There is talk of manning the spot with a couple of round-the-clock security guards, at least for the first couple of weeks while interest quietens and things get back to 'normal'. The last thing his grieving family needs is the prospect of grave robbers rearing their ugly heads."

The late singer's One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik were all in attendance at the service alongside his family and closest friends.

Autumnal floral displays, made up of red and orange leaves, as well as white roses, were set up around the doorways of the 12th-century church.

Payne's former girlfriend, Cheryl, the mother of this seven-year-old son Bear, also attended but the lad was kept at home.

Music mogul Simon Cowell, who signed One Direction, was also in the congregation,

The 31-year-old star died just over a month ago on October 16 from head injuries he sustained after falling from the balcony of his third-floor hotel suite in Buenos Aires.