Liam Payne reveals he was robbed at KNIFEPOINT aged 12 and admits he’s ‘lucky’ to be alive

Liam Payne has revealed he was robbed at knifepoint at the age of 12, after a ‘6ft2 guy’ lured him and a friend to a remote spot to attack them.

Speaking to The Mirror on Friday, the One Direction star, 25, said he was ‘lucky’ to be alive when ‘so many aren’t’, after the man wielded a ‘massive hunting knife’ at his face in Bilston, near Wolverhampton.

The Bedroom Floor hitmaker is keen to raise awareness about knife crime, and said of the incident: ‘It was one of the scariest things I have ever been through in my life.’

‘I was lucky, but so many aren’t… Something needs to be done. We’ve reached unprecedented levels of people losing their lives.’

Liam explained that he and his friend were threatened by the man, who point the knife at them, sharpened the blade, and rapped ominously.

Revealing that they gave the man everything they had in their wallets, he said they managed to escape by running as fast as they could and jumping onto the first bus they came across, even though they didn’t know where it went. 

Going on to discuss raising awareness about the crime, he said: ‘It’s really important that parents are talking to their kids, and that schools are running programmes with people who have been affected by knife crime.’

Traumatic: The One Direction star explained that a ‘6ft2 guy’ lured him and a friend to a remote spot to rob them when he was 12, and wielded a ‘massive hunting knife’ at his face in Bilston

Emotional: The Bedroom Floor hitmaker is keen to raise awareness about knife crime, and said of the incident: ‘It was one of the scariest things I have ever been through in my life.’

Liam’s shocking statements come after the singer had a run in with Cheryl on the blue carpet of the Global Awards on Thursday.

During the evening Liam spent a few minutes chatting to ex Cheryl on the red carpet before making his way into the event.

In a video clip obtained by the Mirror, Cheryl and Liam shared a sweet hug as they met in public for the first time since their split last year.

An onlooker said: ‘They looked very friendly. They were smiling and talking and they went in for a big hug.’

Seen together: Liam’s shocking statements come after the singer had a run in with Cheryl on the blue carpet of the Global Awards on Thursday

Sharing a few words: During the evening Liam spent a few minutes chatting to ex Cheryl on the red carpet before making his way into the event

Cheryl and Liam split in July 2018 after two years together, however they remain amicable as they are parents to one-year-old son Bear.

Following their split Liam has been linked to supermodel Naomi Campbell, which reportedly left Cheryl ‘furious’ after she heard the news.

Rumours of the pair’s fledgling relationship have been circulating the show business circuit since Liam flirted on a snap posted to Naomi’s Instagram account 

During her appearance at WE Day, Naomi cut an interview short and managed to dodge a question regarding Liam when quizzed on the red carpet, according to The Sun.

Sparks flying: Following his split from Cheryl, Liam has been linked to supermodel Naomi Campbell, which reportedly left Cheryl ‘furious’ after she heard the news