This page contains information on what 'cookies' are, how we use cookies and how to switch cookies off in your browser, and some useful links for further reading on the subject. If it does not provide the information you were looking for, or you have any further questions about the use of cookies on our website, please feel free to get in touch.

What are 'cookies'?

'Cookies' are small text files that are stored by the browser (e.g. Internet Explorer or Safari) on your computer or mobile phone. They allow websites to store such things as user preferences. You can think of cookies as providing a "memory" for the website, enabling it to recognise a user and respond appropriately.

How we use cookies?

A visit to a page on our site may generate the following types of cookie:

Anonymous analytics cookies
Registration cookies
Shopping cart cookies
Session cookies

Anonymous analytics cookies

Every time a user visits our website, web analytics software provided by a third party generates an anonymous analytics cookie.

These cookies can tell us whether or not you have visited the site before.

Your browser will tell us if you have these cookies, and if you don't, we generate new ones.

This allows us to track how many individual unique users we have, and how often they visit the site.

Registration cookies

When you register with the site, we generate cookies that signal whether you are signed in or not.

Our servers use these cookies to work out which account you are signed in with, and if you are allowed access to a particular service. It also allows us to associate any comments you post with your username.

If you have not selected 'keep me signed in,' your cookies get deleted when you either close your browser or shut down your computer.

How do I turn cookies off?

It is usually possible to stop your browser accepting cookies, or to stop it accepting cookies from a particular website. For example, we cannot tell if you are signed in without using cookies, so you would not be able to post comments.

All modern browsers allow you to change your cookie settings. These settings will typically be found in the 'options' or 'preferences' menu of your browser. In order to understand these setttings, the following links may be helpful, otherwise you should use the 'Help' option in your browser for more details.

Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Chrome
Cookie settings in Safari web and iOS.

Useful links

If you would like to find out more about cookies and their use on the Internet, you may find the following links useful:

Microsoft Cookies guide
All About Cookies

The IAB has provided the following website to give information specifically about privacy issues around Internet advertising:
youronlinechoices.co.uk/uk

For further legal information about privacy issues, you may find these links useful:

Data Protection Act 1998
The Information Commissioner's Office

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