Cookies are small text files that are sent to and stored on your computer, smart phone or other device for accessing the internet, whenever you visit our website. Each cookie is unique to your web browser. It will contain some anonymous information such as a unique identifier and the site name and some digits and numbers. Cookies are specific to the server that created them and cannot be accessed by other servers, which means that they cannot be used to track your movements elsewhere around the web. Please note that passwords and credit card numbers are not stored in cookies.
Most websites visited will use cookies in order to improve your user experience by enabling that website to 'remember' you, either for the duration of your visit (using a 'session cookie') or for repeat visits (using a 'persistent cookie').
Most websites use cookies for a variety of reasons, such as to determine preferences, let users navigate between pages efficiently, verify the user and carry out other essential security, these are all termed as 'non-evasive'.
Cookies make the interaction between you and the website faster and easier. If a website doesn't use cookies, it will think you are a new visitor every time you move to a new page on the site; for example, when you enter your login details and move to another page it won't recognise you and it won't be able to keep you logged in.
Cookies may be set by the website you are visiting ('first party cookies') or they may be set by other websites who run content on the page you are viewing ('third party cookies').
We don't sell the information collected by cookies, nor do we disclose the information to third parties, except where required by law (for example to government bodies and law enforcement agencies).
Nb. Persistent cookies remain after your browser is closed.
You can find more information about cookies at http://www.allaboutcookies.org/
Different forms of cookies
Necessary Cookies
Necessary Cookies let you move around the website and use essential features like secure areas. These cookies don't gather any information about you that could be used for marketing or remembering where you've been on the internet. You cannot opt out of necessary cookies and therefore should not continue to use this site or else setup your browser to block cookies from this site (See 'Managing your cookies' below).
Nb. It is assumed that by using this site you have agreed to accept necessary cookies. If you use the browser to block Necessary Cookies it will prevent the site from functioning as intended.
Examples of such cookies are for:
Remembering information you've entered on forms when you navigate to different pages in a single web browser session which identify you as being logged in (if the site has a login area).
The use of cookies will not gather information that could be used to advertise products or services to you or for use to target adverts on any other site.
The table below explains the cookies we use and why.
Performance Cookie
'Performance' cookies collect information about how you use our website e.g. which pages you visit, and if you experience any errors. These cookies don't collect any information that could identify you; all the information collected is anonymous and is only used to help us improve our website, service to you, understand what interests our users and measure how effective our advertising is.
Nb: Performance cookies can be blocked.
We use 'Performance' cookies to:
- Provide statistics on how our website is used.
- See how effective our adverts are (we don't use this information to target adverts to you when you visit other websites).
- Help us improve the website by measuring any errors that occur.
'Performance' cookies will NOT be used to:
- Gather information that could be used to advertise products or services to you on other websites.
- Target adverts to you on any other website.
Managing your cookies
The browsers of most computers, smart phones and other web-enabled devices are typically set up to accept cookies. If you wish to amend your cookie preferences for our website or any other websites, you can do this through your browser settings. Your browser's 'help' function will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie and how to disable cookies altogether. You can also disable or delete similar data used by browser add-ons, such as Flash cookies, by changing the add-on's settings or visiting the website of its manufacturer.
Cookies are often used to enable and improve certain functions on our website. If you choose to switch certain cookies off, it is possible that this will affect how our website works.
We have provided the following websites for further information on cookies: