Girls Aloud stars Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh arrive to support bandmate Cheryl at Liam Payne’s funeral as the star is laid to rest after his tragic death

Girls Aloud stars Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh were among the first mourners to arrive at Liam Payne’s funeral as the One Direction star was finally laid to rest on Wednesday.

She was greeted with a kiss by Simon Jones, the former One Direction PR who now performs for Cheryl.

Other mourners greeted her as they stood at the entrance of the church waiting for the doors to open.

The road outside the church was closed to traffic and mourners were dropped off at a side door before walking past headstones to the main entrance.

The arrivals were carefully managed by the private security company.

Kimberley (pictured) was one of the first mourners to arrive for Liam’s funeral following his death on October 16.

Liam, pictured in Dubai last year, died on October 16 at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor balcony of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires

A small crowd of spectators had gathered, but most were locals and not young One Direction fans.

Harry Styles, 30, Niall Horan, 31, Zayn Malik, 31, and Louis Tomlinson, 32, were all in attendance at what was believed to be their first public gathering as a group since their last concert in 2015. Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy, 25, was also present.

A church source said a choir and musicians performed during the service. One of the floral displays features bowling pins and a ball – a nod to his love of bowling, which Kate said he did four times a week.

The location of the funeral was a closely guarded secret and local residents only realized the funeral was taking place when ‘no parking’ signs were posted around the church.

Two traffic enforcement officers patrolled the area and issued tickets to drivers who ignored the signs.

Liam traveled to Argentina in September, where he saw former bandmate Niall Horan perform as well as his good friend Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores. He had extended his stay to renew his US visa when the tragedy occurred.

The entrance to the church where the service takes place is decorated with candle lanterns and white roses arranged in the surrounding shrubs.

A source said this The sun: ‘His family has gone to great lengths to put together the perfect service and give him the farewell he deserves.

Nicola was joined by Simon Jones, the former One Direction PR who now performs for Cheryl

She and Kimberley arrived for the funeral to support Liam’s ex Cheryl

Kimberley shielded her eyes with sunglasses as she walked into the church

The road outside the church was closed to traffic and mourners were dropped off at a side door before walking past gravestones to the main entrance

The location of the funeral is a closely guarded secret and local residents only realized the funeral was taking place when ‘no parking’ signs were placed around the church.

‘Liam may have been a global superstar, but for Geoff and Karen he will always be their little boy. It will be an extremely difficult day.’

In a joint statement released after Payne’s death, Louis, Zayne, Niall and Harry said they were ‘completely devastated’.

“In due time, and when everyone is able, there will be more to say,” they said.

“But for now, we will take time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, whom we loved dearly.

“The memories we shared with him will be cherished forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us.

‘We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam – Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.’

Louis, Harry and Zayn all later released separate tributes.

Styles wrote on Instagram that he was “truly devastated” and will “always miss him.”

“His greatest joy was making other people happy and it was an honor to stand next to him as he did that.