Three people have been charged in connection with the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne.

The Argentinian public prosecutor's office in the country has said they have been charged with "abandonment of a person followed by death" and the "supply and facilitation of narcotics".

The 31-year-old fell from a third-floor hotel balcony the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16th.

The statement from the country's prosecutor's office said that Mr Payne was "not fully conscious" or was experiencing a "state of noticeable decrease or loss of consciousness" at the time of the fall.

It said one of the accused "accompanied the artist on a daily basis" during his stay in Argentina, while another was a hotel employee.

The prosecutor's office said it had received several dozen testimonies, as well as analysing more than 800 hours of security camera footage.

It also conducted a "forensic exam" of the contents of Mr Payne's mobile phone.

'He did not know what he was doing'

The statement added that the investigation revealed "at least four supplies of narcotics".

Toxicology test results revealed Mr Payne had alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants in his system.

According to the statement, Mr Payne "did not adopt a reflex posture to protect himself from the fall" - meaning he may have fallen "in a state of semi or total unconsciousness".

The "state" Mr Payne was in meant "he did not know what he was doing nor could he understand it", ruling out the " possibility of a conscious or voluntary act".

Investigators found what appeared to be narcotics and alcohol thrown around broken objects and furniture in Mr Payne's hotel room, leading the public prosecution to suppose the singer had suffered a substance abuse-induced breakdown before he died.

Liam Payne performing in Vancouver, Canada, 03-09-2017. Image: James Jeffrey Taylor / Alamy