The singer of Grammy nominated metal band As I Lay Dying has been arrested after allegedly attempting to hire an undercover detective to murder his wife.

Tim Lambesis was arrested in the Californian region of Oceancide, according to a statement released by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. It went on to say that that Lambesis had attempted to arrange the murder of his estranged wife.

As I Lay Dying never made a big impact in Ireland but have achieved reasonable success in the States. Having formed in San Diego in 2000, the band have released six albums, including 2007 effort An Ocean Between Us which peaked at 8 on the Billboard Chart and had a track nominated for the Grammy for top metal performance.

The band are due to go on a US tour this month, according to their website.