A Falklands veteran has condemned Argentinian politicians as being "stupid" after complaining that Britain is "militarising" the South Atlantic.

Chris Falcke, of Homewood Avenue, Sittingbourne, was a 19-year-old Royal Marine with 42 Commando when Argentine forces invaded the islands nearly 30 years ago.

Now 49, the married father-of-two has criticised Argentina’s president Cristina Kirchner for ordering the country’s foreign minister to complain to the United Nations about "militarisation" of the Falklands’ waters after warship HMS Dauntless was sent there.

"The Argies are just being stupid, typically petulant South American idiots," said Mr Falcke. "They had an election last year and started making a lot of noise about what is for them an emotive subject. They lost, we won - that’s it."

Tensions have continued to rise ahead of the 30th anniversary of the conflict in April.

Last week, American actor Sean Penn described Britain’s hold on the Falklands as "ludicrous" and "archaic".

Mr Falcke, a sports science teacher at Canterbury College, said the film star turned director, was an "idiot".

He said: "He’s a plum. He’s just sucking up to the South Americans in Uruguay. It’s a popular thing among a lot of Americans to be anti-British."

Earlier this month, president Kirchner was critical of Prince William being sent to the Falklands as a search and rescue pilot.

Mr Falcke said: "It’s obviously a political move but at the same time he’s a serving officer in the forces. Reading between the lines, the timing is politically motivated, but so what."

Significant off-shore oil deposits have been discovered off the Falklands, inciting further anger from Argentines, who still refer to the islands as Islas Malvinas.

"I think the Argentines play on the idea there might be something there," said Mr Falcke. "It’s a case of them trying to grab it, just in case.

"I think they have no claims whatsoever."

The windfall from the oil could be worth billions of pounds. "For the islanders, it will do them a hell of a lot of good," said Mr Falcke.