Episode 2300 (24th December 1997)

== Plot==
Tearful Kim watches as Ned, Roy and Seth join police in a grim fingertip search for James. And when they discover the child's bobble hat the police are in no doubts they are dealing with a kidnapping. Kim swears she'll die if anything happened to her precious child. Steve tells her it's time to come clean, he knows she's been receiving threatening phone calls. The Dingles and Eric suss that Marlon and Billy were responsible for the booze hi-jack. But there's no sign of Billy when they visit the caravan - only Spot, Andy's puppy. Worried when he hears the news, Jack goes to the caravan and discovers Andy, hidden in a tiny corner, unconscious. The near tragedy brings Jack and Sarah closer and she invites him to join the family for Christmas dinner. Finally Rachel gets some news to cheer her up after the collapse of her affair with Jack she's offered a job as the local school secretary.
==Cast==
===Regular cast===
*Steve Marchant - Paul Opacic
*Christopher Tate - Peter Amory
*Kim Tate - Claire King
*Jan Glover - Roberta Kerr
*Ned Glover - Johnny Leeze
*Seth Armstrong - Stan Richards
*Zak Dingle - Steve Halliwell
*Butch Dingle - Paul Loughran
*Anthony Cairns - Edward Peel
*Roy Glover - Nicky Evans
*Terry Woods - Billy Hartman
*Zoe Tate - Leah Bracknell
*Vic Windsor - Alun Lewis
*Rachel Hughes - Glenda McKay
*Kathy Glover - Malandra Burrows
*Eric Pollard - Christopher Chittell
*Sam Dingle - James Hooton
*Alan Turner - Richard Thorp
*Mandy Dingle - Lisa Riley
*Betty Eagleton - Paula Tilbrook
*Lady Tara Oakwell - Anna Brecon
*Andy Hopwood - Kelvin Fletcher
*Robert Sugden - Christopher Smith
*Victoria Sugden - Hannah Midgley (uncredited)
*Sarah Sugden - Alyson Spiro
*Jack Sugden - Clive Hornby
*James Tate - Bradley White (uncredited)
===Guest cast===
*D.I. Farrar - David Beckett
*D.C. Adams - Fen Rogers
*Nanny - Amanda Whitehead
*P.C. Shooton - Ian Connaughton
*Nigel Dobson - Stewart Howson
*Marieke - Ellis Linders
==Locations==
*Home Farm - Grounds, living room, kitchen and dining room
*Holdgate Farm - Kitchen
*Mill Cottage - Kitchen
*The Woolpack - Public bar
*Field
*Melby Farm - Farmhouse (kitchen)
*Billy and Andy Hopwood's caravan
*St. Mary's General Hospital - Maternity ward
==Notes==
*This Christmas Eve episode was broadcast at the slightly later time of 7.30pm.
*TV Times synopsis: The villagers search for baby James, while Kim is still pestered by nuisance phone-calls.
Category:1997 episodes
Category:Emmerdale episodes
Category:Episodes outside of broadcast patterns