Lost Disney cartoon Sleigh Bells featuring first character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is to be screened for the first time in 87 years.

A restored print of 1928’s Sleigh Bells will have its world premiere at the British Film Institute (BFI) in London in December 2015.

The BFI says the re-discovery of the “long-lost” six-minute film in its archive is a “joyful treat”.

Other Oswald cartoons survive but Sleigh Bells has been unseen since its original release.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was invented by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks for Universal in 1927 before they went on to create Mickey Mouse.

The only surviving print of Sleigh Bells was preserved in the BFI National Archive and was “re-discovered” by a researcher browsing its online catalogue.

The restoration work was carried out by Walt Disney Animation Studios and the new print will be shown at BFI Southbank on December 1 as part of a program of Disney Christmas shorts.

Andrew Millstein, president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, which oversaw the restoration, said the Oswald shorts were an important part of Disney history.