The auctioneers had expected between �7,000 and �9,000

An anonymous collector from Essex bought the first edition Dandy, the free gift it originally came with and a flyer advertising its release.

It is the highest price paid for a British comic at auction.

The same collector also set the previous record by spending �12,100 for a copy of the first edition of Beano.

It looks like it was placed in the newsstand yesterday Malcolm Phillips Auctioneer

The Dandy was first published on 4 December 1937 by DC Thompson, which also publishes Beano.

The first book featured the debut of Korky the Cat, who along with Desperate Dan and Keyhole Kate, became a favourite character to millions of children across Britain.

Malcolm Phillips, managing director of Comic Book Postal Auctions, which handled the sale, said the comic sold on Tuesday night was extremely rare and in excellent condition.

"It looks like it was placed in the newsstand yesterday," he said.

The Whistler

Only 10 copies of the comic's first edition are known to exist, but the free gift - a metal whistler - sold in the auction is the only one to have survived.

"The whistler still works. I know because I've whistled on it myself," Mr Phillips said.

The company had expected the comic to fetch between �7,000 and �9,000.

Mr Phillips said: "There were 10 serious bidders, most of whom starting dropping out when the price reached �15,000."

He said the buyer wished to remain anonymous.

"He's now got one of the best collections in the country, but he'd like not to have too much publicity."

Both free gifts are said to still work after nearly 70 years

A copy of the second edition of The Dandy, published a week later with a free jumping frog toy, sold at the same auction for almost �4,000.

Dandy became officially recognised as the world's longest running comic in 1999, with the publication of its 3,007th issue.

"Generations of kids have laughed, smirked and roared with laughter at ... these comics," Mr Phillips said.

"[Because of this sale] the bar is now much higher for British comics' valuation. It's slowly putting British comics on the world map."