An army veteran posing as a retired elite soldier who served during the Falklands at a Remembrance service has admitted fabricating his military background in an act of ‘stolen valour’.

Mick Carling, 61, placed himself at the heart of commemorations in Malton, North Yorks, in full military regalia – with medals pinned to his chest that he had no right to wear.

Carling claimed that his service included a period in the Parachute Regiment during the Falklands War and the Pathfinder platoon in Afghanistan, during a career which spanned from 1979 to 2000.

But his military heroics unravelled under scrutiny from the Walter Mitty Hunters Club, a group of former soldiers who unmask dubious military claims, known as stolen valour.

The group said no records existed of Carling serving in the 2 Para battalion in the Falklands or being awarded a Military Medal for his combat in Afghanistan.

Elite 2 Para – 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment – first deployed to Afghanistan in 2002, two years after Carling said he had retired from the military.

At his home in Malton, Carling insisted he had served in the British Army but admitted exaggerating his record, saying: ‘I’ve overstated, that was it.’

Pressed for details on which aspects he had embellished, he downplayed his actions, adding: ‘Just some medals, that’s all.’

Carling refused to expand on the extent of his service, which of his medals were bogus and then shut the door to his council house when asked if he would apologise.

The Walter Mitty Hunters Club said no records existed for Carling in the London Gazette, which publishes honours and awards for gallantry and meritorious service in the armed forces.

It said: ‘Clearly Carling was lying as no entry under ‘Mick Carling Military Medal’ can be found in the London Gazette and that includes his long service and good conduct medal which would also have been listed.’

The group claimed there were no records he had passed the Army’s demanding course to serve in the Parachute Regiment, or his basic military parachute course.

It said there were also ‘no records’ he had been a member of the Pathfinder platoon or that he had been awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct or Military Medal.

Carling was pictured at the front of crowds in Malton next to civic leaders and veterans as the town paid its respects to fallen servicemen and women, holding a ceremonial baton.

He was approached in a pub shortly afterwards by a genuine veteran who said Carling’s credentials appeared immediately suspicious, including a clasp for serving in Iraq displayed on a general service medal.

The ex-serviceman told the Walter Mitty Hunters Club: ‘I initially shook his hand because he was wearing the maroon beret and blazer with the Military Medal.

‘However, things took a turn for the worse when I saw his general service medal. It had three clasps, one was the dated clasp for Iraq (no Iraq medal present), second clasp was for Afghanistan!.

‘He claimed to be in Afghan in 1992, yet I’m stood there with the Afghan medal and clasp knowing that it’s b******s.

‘Some of things he said just got my back up, I confronted him and he had no explanation for not appearing on the list also, couldn’t tell me where in Afghan he was etc. Luckily I’d only had three beers at that point.’

Carling, who was said to have attended previous Remembrance ceremonies in Malton, was condemned by locals.

At the New Globe Inn, at which he is a regular, a pal said he was ‘dumbfounded’ by Carling’s claims but praised him for ‘coming clean’.

Shaun Pickering wrote on Facebook: ‘Disgrace to everyone who served and this town.’

Jill Winters added: ‘The desire to be seen. Not sure if it’s from a sense of duty or illness.

‘It’s very sad irrespective of motive, but alas, not a crime.’

In America, The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes it a federal crime to fraudulently claim to be a recipient of certain military decorations or medals in order to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit.