Ambassador 
says sorry for Falklands slip

Jon Benjamin, who has been a diplomat since 1986, referenced a football chant in what he thought was a private message to a friend via the microblogging site after getting a ticket for the World Cup qualifier between the South American countries.

Instead, however, he published it via his main Twitter feed, allowing it to be read by his 9,700 followers and anyone else who cared to look.

The chant, which is sometimes shouted by Chilean fans, describes the Argentinians as “gays” who lost the Falklands conflict because they are “cowards”.

Following a string of outraged responses, Mr Benjamin has since removed the offending message and apologised.

A Foreign and Commonwealth spokesman said: “Our ambassador to Chile appears to have inadvertently caused some controversy in a tweet.

“He has deleted it.”