What are cookies?

Cookies are small files stored on a person’s computer, mobile phone or tablet, which allow a website to recognise and track users. To find out more please visit allaboutcookies for more information.

Websites set cookies to help authenticate a user when they log in to a secure area of the website. Login information is stored in a cookie so the user can enter and leave the website without having to re-enter the same information over and over.

The cookies on this website break down into three categories:

Session cookies

These are used by the server to store information about user page activities so users can easily pick up where they left off on the server's pages. Cookies tell the server what pages to show the user so the user doesn't have to remember or start navigating the site all over again.

Some cookies act as a sort of “bookmark” within a website. Cookies can also store ordering information needed to make shopping carts work, instead of forcing a user to remember all the items they put in their shopping cart.

Persistent cookies

On your first visit, the website is presented to you in default mode. During your visit, you select your preferences and these preferences are remembered, through the use of the persistent cookie, the next time you visit the site.

A persistent cookie enables a website to remember you on subsequent visits, speeding up or enhancing your experience of services or functions offered.

Google analytics

This site uses Google Analytics which is one of the most widespread and trusted analytics solution on the web for helping us to understand how you use the site and ways that we can improve your experience. These cookies may track things such as how long you spend on the site and the pages that you visit so we can continue to produce engaging content. For more information on Google Analytics cookies, see the official Google Analytics page.

Third party cookies

A third party cookie is issued by a different server to that of the domain being visited. For example on our website Twitter or YouTube, It could be used to trigger a banner advert based on the visitor's viewing habits. Or to help the website collect information on how their information is being used/viewed.

Deleting cookies

For more information on deleting cookies click here.

This cookie policy was published in May 2017 and last updated 24 May 2018