An introduction to cookies
A cookie is a small data file that is automatically placed onto your computer’s hard drive. Cookie files are created by our website and placed onto your device in order to analyse and influence your preferences or behaviour. Analytical cookies are designed to track your journey and experience on our website – so that we may tailor your experience and gather data. Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.
The majority of modern web browsers will automatically allow cookies to be placed onto your device. However you can usually modify your browser’s settings in order to prevent any cookies from being placed onto your device. Setting your browser to block cookies may prevent you from taking full advantage of our website.
Cookies deployed by our website:
- ensure that functionality operates as intended
- remember your choices and preferences during and between visits
- allow you to share pages via popular social media networks including Facebook and Twitter
- allow you to interact with our website by leaving comments or opinions
- post enquiries via online forms
- track your visit for statistical analysis, allowing us to improve the usability, speed and security of our website
Cookies are not deployed to:
- collect any personal identifiable information (without your express permission)
- collect any sensitive information (without your express permission)
- pass data to advertising networks
- pass personally identifiable data to third parties
- pay sales commissions
Your consent for cookie deployment by our website.
Upon your first visit to our website, you may have noticed our banner alerting you to the use of cookies by our website. In compliance with the 2011 EU Cookie Law, our website operates on an ‘Implied Consent’ basis. This means that we have assumed that you have ‘opted-in’ for our website to deploy cookies until you choose to deactivate them within your browser settings or via the instructions below. Below you can learn more about the specific cookies deployed by our website, and how they can be disabled. For more information on the EU Cookie Law in the UK, we recommend visiting the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website where you can find the latest information, guidelines and advice on the EU Cookie Law.
Cookies used by our website
Below is a table of information which lists all cookies deployed and used on our website.
How to disable cookies
Most modern browsers allow you to control your cookie settings for all websites that you browse. You can disable cookie deployment completely by editing your browser settings, however in doing this you may be limiting the functionality that is displayed on our website. To learn how to disable cookies on your preferred browser we recommend reading this advice posted by Google.
If you are concerned about cookies tracking your movements on the Internet then you may be concerned about spyware. Spyware is the name given to a particular band of cookies that track personal information about you. There are many antispyware programs that you can use to prevent this from happening. Learn more about antispyware software – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware. You call also disable Google Analytics on all websites by downloading the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.