Hi Steve
If you go onto the British Library Newspaper Library website you can search for all local papers.
The Library is in Colindale, London and you can just turn up and view the papers, also Libraries in Retford may have copies of old papers.
Also try The Times online, if the scandal was big enough it would be reported, you can get access to the times by joining a library online, try joining one where you live or even in Retford if you don't live there.
Good luck, Borri