The members of heavy rockers Pantera are working with the authorities in Texas after learning the grave of their late guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott was vandalised recently.

Former Nuclear Hellfrost rocker Reece Eber has claimed responsibility for defacing the plot, revealing he and pals spat on the grave, stole a pair of cowboy boots and wrote the word 'f*g' on a piece of paper and left it on the grave.

In an angry response on the Pantera Facebook.com page, the bandmates state, "We are absolutely disgusted by this! We ask that all of you please show Dime and his grave the respect he deserves. This conduct will not be tolerated and the authorities have been notified.”

The current members of Nuclear Hellfrost have moved to distance themselves from the incident, insisting it had nothing to do with them.

Eber has since apologised for his actions, insisting they were "completely out of line”.

He says, “There is no reason for doing what I did – and when I say ‘I’ I mean me alone. My friends were not present. I left a piece of paper with an insult to a man many people idolise and for a cheap laugh. I didn’t think about the consequences. I cannot express how sorry I am to (Abbott's brother) Vinnie Paul and the Abbott family for the distress I caused, and the other members of Pantera and other acts Darrell was a part of. I owe everyone an apology for my actions because they were uncalled for, were horrible and despicable. I went way too far.”

The guitarist was shot dead during a Damageplan concert in Ohio in December, 2004.