Under 18s should be stopped from joining pop bands to protect their mental health after Liam Payne’s death, says Robbie Williams’ friend and songwriter

Young people under the age of 18 should be prevented from joining major pop bands to protect their mental health, a leading songwriter has said.

Guy Chambers, a close friend of Take That star Robbie Williams, made the comments days after the death of Liam Payne at the age of 31, who was just 16 when he became part of One Direction in 2010.

Liam, who shares a seven-year-old son with his ex-partner Cheryl Tweedy, plunged to his death from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.

The singer had previously spoken about his mental health struggles after achieving stardom at such a young age, with many claiming that more support should have been given to the boy group in their youth.

Speaking this weekend, Chambers called on the music industry to stop working with talent under the age of 18.

‘I think it’s potentially very damaging to put a 16-year-old into such an adult world. Robbie certainly experienced that,” he told The Observer.

A selfie video on social media shows Liam Payne speaking in Sarmiento, Buenos Aires shortly before his death

Liam (middle) was only 16 when he became one fifth of One Direction in 2010

Guy Chambers (pictured) called on the music industry to stop working with talent under the age of 18

He added: “I have four children, so I think about this a lot. I know that in Robbie’s case, with Take That, there wasn’t proper safeguards set up to look after teenage boys.

‘That was a long time ago, but I see little sign of change. I have noticed that not much care is given to the people involved in the major talent shows on television.’

It comes after news that Liam made a shocking confession just minutes before plunging to his death, MailOnline revealed earlier this week.

A young woman staying at the same hotel said the former One Direction singer told her: “I was in a boy band – that’s why I’m so confused” just minutes before he died.

In her compelling account, Rebecca, one of the last people to speak to the pop star at the Casa Sur Hotel on Wednesday, claimed Liam displayed “disturbing and strange behaviour” when he smashed his laptop on the floor.

The One Direction star fell from a balcony on the third floor of the CasaSur hotel

Liam’s fans gathered around the world today, from London to Paris, New York and Stockholm, to pay tribute to the One Direction star.

Heartbroken fans gathered to pay their respects at a vigil at the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens.

The event was held ‘in memory of Liam’ and to ‘honor his radiant spirit and unforgettable impact’.

Relatives brought flowers, letters, drawings and One Direction memorabilia to place under a photo of the star. Some came in groups and hugged and held each other as they mourned his loss.

In one moving moment, fans sang One Direction’s iconic song ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, the band’s first single from their debut album ‘Up All Night’.