British singer Liam Payne in 2018 (AFP Photo)

The father of former One Direction star Liam Payne, who died from a Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, began repatriating the singer’s body to Britain on Wednesday, a police source said.

A flight carrying Payne’s remains left Buenos Aires for London at 1:58 p.m. local time (16:58 GMT), the source said.

A video circulating on social media showed his father, Geoff, at Ezeiza International Airport, minutes before boarding.

Argentine media reported that Payne’s body was moved Wednesday morning from the British Cemetery in Buenos Aires, where he was embalmed.

A funeral home employee in charge of arrangements said Tuesday that repatriation would be expected within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Payne was found dead on October 16 after diving from the balcony of his third-floor room at the CasaSur hotel in the Argentine capital.

His death at the age of 31 sparked a worldwide outpouring of grief and condolences from family, former band members, fans and others.

It also sparked debate over whether the music industry has a duty of care towards the mental health of stars who become famous at a young age.

Payne had spoken publicly about his struggles with drug addiction and rising to fame from a young age.