A WAR veteran has raised a Falkland Islands flag in his front garden following diplomatic rows between Britain and Argentina.

Royal British Legion member Leonard Nicholls, of the Ramsden branch, has hoisted the flag at his home in School Road, Finstock.

He was spurred on to show his support for British rule of the islands following new tensions with the South American country, prompted by a UK decision to allow drilling for oil in a contested seabed near the territory.

Argentina claims sovereignity over the islands, and on Wednesday the matter was raised at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Grandfather Mr Nicholls, 77, said: “I support the campaign to keep the Falkland Islands British. I am proud of what Mrs Thatcher did for the Falklands.

“The people of the Falkland Islands have always wanted to remain British and when Mrs Thatcher sent the forces out there to reclaim it, they always said it should never be returned to Argentina and I agree with that.”

Mr Nicholls, who has owned the flag pole for the past three years, has many other flags which he flies to mark anniversaries and celebrations.

These include the Royal Insignia, flown to mark Nelson’s birthday on September 29, and the Korean flag, which is hoisted on the anniversary of the ceasefire of the Korean War on July 27.

Mr Nicholls, who served with the Royal Artillery during that war in the 1950s, said: “I think it’s very important as otherwise people forget.

“They call the Korean War the forgotten war as you ask a lot of people and they have never heard of it.

“It’s very important that you keep these things going as otherwise people just forget them.”

Frank Schofield, chairman of Ramsden RBL, added: “We decided to put up the Falklands flag because we are all British Legion members and we are patriotic.

“Argentina has never forgiven us for them losing the war and because we are doing oil explorations, they are making trouble for us.”

Mr Schofield, 82, of Finstock, wrote a book a decade ago called The Falkland Watcher, about the war from the point of view of those here in the UK.

He added: “I kept a daily diary when the war was going on and based a book on it.”