Fans left in ‘floods of tears’ as One Direction star Zayn Malik cancels Newcastle gig at the last minute

The O2 City Hall in Newcastle was packed with fans waiting for the Stairway to the Sky set to get underway when it was announced the show had been cancelled.

A spokesperson speaking from the stage said the show would not be going ahead and added: "We apologise for the late notice. It was his fervent hope that he would be able to continue with the show. This is no longer possible.

"Please contact your point of purchase for details of reschedules and refunds. If you have parents or guardians collecting you please stay within the auditorium and wait to be collected."

The US leg of the tour was postponed after the death of Zayn's former bandmate Liam Payne and he has paid tribute to him at shows in Manchester and Leeds.

Fans streamed out of the O2 City Hall in Newcastle in floods of tears after Zayn Malik cancelled his sell-out gig at a moment's notice.

Courtni Clarke, 19, walked out of the venue with tears streaming down her face. The bar worker, of Leeds, queued for 36 hours and made it to the front of the barricade only to be turned away.

She said: “I hope he’s ok. One of the security guards told us they don’t even know if he made it here.

“We queued for 36 hours. We were here the day before last. We queued for a while. I’m shocked.

“We thought they were announcing the show and the curtain would drop and Zayn would be there.

“It’s a disappointment but also a worry. I’m a very, very big fan of Zayn.

“We’ve got no information of what happened. We paid £150 for tickets and £30 for travel.

“I’m really upset. I’ve seen Harry, Niall and Louis. I can’t see Liam now but Zayn was the last piece of the puzzle. It’s a deep wound."

Angelina Mackay, 20, travelled from Valencia, Spain for the gig. The Criminology student at Durham University said: "I am in shock right now.

"I literally want to cry. I can’t believe it. I hope he has a big excuse for cancelling and leaving his fans on the street in this cold weather.

“I travelled from Valencia to Madrid to catch a flight here. My flights from Madrid was £190. I paid £40 for the ticket.

"We’ve missed the last train to get to Durham, where we are staying now."

Kitty Heidt, 20, a Law student at Durham University, from Wales said: "We came her at 7pm and were very excited to get in.

“If he didn’t show up, they should have told us. We waited an hour inside anyway before it was cancelled.”

Claudia Liew, 20, a Law student at Durham University, from Singapore said: “This was my first concert ever but to be fair I wasn’t expecting much as he has been through a lot.

“It’s a waste of time. I’m upset and disappointed.”

Eleanor Harland, 22, a Costa worker, from Bradford said: “I’m more concerned about his health than the fact we have missed out on a concert.

“A lot of fans care more about them seeing him than his wellbeing.

“I’m happy to miss it as long as he’s ok.”

Tabitha Douglas, 24, an NHS worker, from Leeds added: "He doesn’t do tours and with Liam passing it’s just more important that his mental health is ok."