Falklands 40: South coast remembers anniversary of conflict ending

Events have been held across the south of England to mark 40 years since the end of the Falklands conflict.

Occupying Argentine forces surrendered on 14 June 1982 after British forces had retaken the overseas territory.

Portsmouth and Southampton, where task force ships departed for the South Atlantic, both commemorated the anniversary.

Events, including wreath-laying services, have also been held in Dorset.

Ocean liners SS Canberra and QE2 were requisitioned by the government and left from the port of Southampton.

Veterans, dignitaries and representatives from the 17 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC attended a commemorative service at the city's Holyrood Church earlier.

A Chinook helicopter from RAF Odiham performed a fly-past before the start of the service.

Afterwards, veterans were applauded by onlookers as they paraded to Guildhall Square accompanied by the St Andrew's Pipe Band.

There was a wreath-laying ceremony and minute's silence at Poole's Falklands memorial situated in Falklands Square near the Dorset town's Dolphin shopping centre.

Wimborne Minister also hosted a Royal British Legion service attended by veterans who participated in the conflict as well as civilians who helped support the military effort.

Portsmouth will mark the occasion by unveiling a new memorial plaque on Sunday by the Square Tower, with the names of those who lost their lives during the conflict.

Portsmouth City Council will also be granting Freedom of the City to all those that served in the conflict.

The Royal British Legion is holding a commemorative event to mark the end of the conflict at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

On 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a remote UK dependency in the South Atlantic.

Argentina said it had inherited the islands from Spain in the 1800s and wanted to reclaim sovereignty of them.

The UK, which had ruled the islands for 150 years, quickly chose to fight and dispatched a task force to retake the islands.

In the brief but bitter war lasting 74 days, 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen lost their lives, as did three Falkland Islanders.

British forces regained control of the islands on 14 June 1982.

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