�Hampstead’s self-styled village idiot is dead and his alter ego is preparing to move on.

At 3am on Tuesday morning George Weiss announced to the world – or a few bleary-eyed listeners on talkSPORT – that one of Hampstead’s most colourful characters was no more.

After 23 years as Rainbow George, the 70-year-old decided his doppleganger had become a bit of a joke.

Rainbow had a busy, if unsuccessful political career, setting a record after running for 12 different seats in one election and forming a number of hapless radical parties.

But he shot to fame in Hampstead for his successful squatting of a �700,000 house in Perrins Court. He stayed for more than 20 years and eventually earned himself squatters rights and a pot of money which he frittered away on bets, loans and hopeless political gambits.

Mr Weiss, of Heath Street, claims he is now “totally destitute” and is considering a change of scene, by moving to Brighton.

Millstone

“I’m looking to say farewell to Hampstead. I definitely need a break after 50 years of my life here,” he said.

“My life has become a bit of an embarrassment for one reason or another.

“I should have come to that conclusion a long time ago.

“Rainbow George has been a kind of millstone around my neck. It was good to kill him off.”

Mr Weiss said it was a fitting time to revert back to his original double, Stirling Silver, on the 22nd anniversary of a newspaper sting which branded him as a major drug dealer in the acid house movement.

He said he has recently hit rock-bottom after being caught stealing a nectarine from a shop.

“Rainbow George was perceived as being a pot-smoking hippie and Stirling Silver will be perceived as a hope-touting zippy.

“Rainbow George is dead and merried and Stirling Silver is hopefully going to succeed where Rainbow George failed in all sorts of ways,” said Mr Weiss.