Blink 182 feud: Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus slam 'ungrateful' Tom DeLonge after he 'quits'

Hours after Blink-182 released a statement announcing Tom DeLonge's shock departure, it looks like the American pop punk trio's ugly feud has escalated.

Trouble started brewing when bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker released a statement declaring that DeLonge had gone his separate way, insisting "no hard feelings, but the show must go on for our fans."

Despite DeLonge denying this on Instagram, Hoppus and Barker later confirmed their split from the "disrespectful and ungrateful" co-frontman in an interview with Rolling Stone.

"We booked January 5th to go into the studio. On December 30th, we get an e-mail from Tom's manager saying that he has no interest in recording and that he wants to do his other, non-musical stuff and that he's out indefinitely," Hoppus said.

"There's a flurry of e-mails going back and forth for clarification about the recording and the show and his manager sends [an e-mail] back saying, 'Tom. Is. Out.' Direct quote. This is the exact same e-mail we got back in 2004 when Tom went on indefinite hiatus before."

Touching on DeLonge's online denial that he is leaving the band, 37-year-old Barker claimed that his former bandmate was not prepared to take responsibility for his actions and they were tired of covering for him.

"I think he's just bummed because Mark and I were finally honest. We always covered up for him before... It's hard to cover for someone who's disrespectful and ungrateful," the star said.

"You don't even have the balls to call your bandmates and tell them you're not going to record or do anything Blink-related. You have your manager do it. Everyone should know what the story is with him and it's been years with it."

Although Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio will play with Hoppus and Barker at Blink-182's Music Festival on 22 March in Orange County, California, it seems that DeLonge didn't get the memo about his replacement.

"To all the fans, I never quit the band," he wrote in a post on Instagram. "I was actually on a phone call about a Blink-182 event for New York City when all these weird press releases started coming in. Apparently those reports were 'sanctioned' from the band. Are we dysfunctional – yes. But, Christ. #Awkward".

Blink-182 have sold millions of records since forming in California in 1992. Their biggest hits include What's My Age Again and All The Small Things.