Falklands veteran Simon Weston has called for a "dignified" response to tomorrow's funeral for Baroness Thatcher.

Mr Weston, who will be among around 2,000 guests at the ceremonial funeral, said no matter what people's views of the former prime minister were, they should respect the occasion, and that protesting at the event would "achieve nothing".

The former Welsh Guard is one of the most well-known veterans of the Falklands conflict after suffering horrific burns when he was on board RFA Sir Galahad.

The ship was bombed by Argentine Skyhawk jets on June 9, 1982. Twenty-two of his platoon of 30 were killed while many others suffered serious injuries, including Mr Weston who suffered 46% burns to his body.

The Welsh Guards are playing a major role in the ceremony, as part of the coffin bearer party and members of the Guard of Honour.

Mr Weston said he had not expected to be invited to Lady Thatcher's funeral but would be attending along with two fellow Falklands veterans.

The 51-year-old said he hoped "beyond all hope" that it would remain a dignified day, despite strong feelings on both sides towards Lady Thatcher.

"People have got a right to protest, of course they have, but not at a funeral," he said.

"What does your protest achieve at a funeral?

"Young people have got no right to be as angry as they appear to be with Mrs Thatcher.

"In the years that have passed an awful lot of other guys have made an awful lot of mistakes so these young people ought to be looking at those other people.

"If people protest at the funeral I hope they can do it in a dignified way.

"It will achieve nothing, it will irritate a lot, and more than anything else, the world's media and the world's eyes will be watching."

He said Lady Thatcher was "respected and revered" all over the world, and too many people were judging her for a few elements of her leadership, rather than the "whole catalogue".

Mr Weston continued: "I hated the way Mrs Thatcher went about the miners' strike because they ended things too deeply, too fast.

"They upset a lot of wonderful people and a lot of friends of mine. I saw people suffer horrendously.

"I didn't believe in it, I didn't believe in the way it was done, but the fact of the matter is, I'm not one-sided.

"I totally, totally accept the criticisms people make but where my respect comes from is a whole category of things she did, whereas people's hatred seems to come from one or two things she did."

Mr Weston said Lady Thatcher, who died at the Ritz hotel last Monday, had made the right decision to go to war over the Falkland Islands.

"Her response was swift, she wasn't certain what she should do but she took advice from her military advisors at the time and the advice was to go for it," he said.

"To my way of thinking it was absolutely correct to go to war, we didn't start it, but we had to respond.

"It was a gamble and it paid off and Mrs Thatcher was the right leader for the right moment.

"Maybe she would not be right now, but for the times that she had to deal with - where there was aggressive confrontation all over the place to do with Britain, from the unions, Europe - maybe it took a woman to do that, to deal with these things, to deal with over-aggressive men who lived in the past as dinosaurs."

Mr Weston said people like Argentine dictator General Galtieri, miners' leader Arthur Scargill, and some male politicians at the time, had "got it wrong" about Britain's only female prime minister.

"When you look at it, all these men from around the world that were part of an old-school attitude that women were second-place or subservient, boy did they get it wrong.

"I didn't agree with all of her actions, but then again if somebody has got 14 years in power you have got to say you're not always going to get it right.

"She was a phenomenal leader."

Although he met Mrs Thatcher around seven times, Mr Weston said he had never actually had a conversation with her.

"I have no idea why that happened for six of the times, but I do know why for one.

"Somebody who was very close to me who died on board the ship - his mum had words to say to Mrs Thatcher.

"I had been presented and was waiting to talk to her, then it went wrong because she (the veteran's mother) wanted to say her piece so she jumped in front of me and I missed the chance, but such is life.

"I have no doubt at all had we spoken we would have got on.

"I believe that she had a very small circle of very close and loyal friends. Apparently she was incredibly friendly and incredibly warm, she just didn't suffer fools.

"She wasn't looking to make friends, which is how a leader should be. You want somebody to take care of your country and lead your country, we've seen far too many leaders cosying up to people, and never achieving anything in power.

"We need leaders, we don't need ushers and shepherds, we need to be led properly.

"It's not about being liked, it's about doing the job.

"As a leader she hasn't been equalled and she certainly hasn't been bettered."