One Direction's Liam Payne says their "fearless" older fan base is far "trickier" to deal with than their younger admirers.

The British boyband - comprising of Liam, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik - have seen their popularity soar thanks to the success of their debut album Up All Night.

The five-piece have a wealth of admirers across the globe. Although their younger fans have a habit of being overzealous at times, Liam insists it's nothing compared to their older counterparts.

"The mums are fearless. They will grab and pinch and it gets quite tricky," Liam told British newspaper The Sun, before Zayn added: "They suggest things."

Bandmate Harry says the attention doesn't faze him. The 18-year-old star - who is famed for allegedly having a fling with a 32-year-old TV presenter - insists he would date fans of any age.

"I would not have a problem as long as they were nice and made me smile," he said.