What are cookies and how do we use them?

Like most websites you visit, our website (“site”) uses cookies and other similar technologies to distinguish you from other users of our site. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site. For example, this allows us to store and manage your settings (such as your preferred language), deliver targeted advertising and enable content.

Cookies

Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your device when you visit a website or embedded in a web page. Cookies may then be sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognises that cookie. Cookies are useful because they allow a website to recognise a user’s device and to remember your actions and preferences (such as login details, language, font size and other display preferences) over a period of time.

We rely on your consent to use cookies (except “strictly necessary cookies” which are essential to operate the site, as described below). You can refuse cookies at any time by changing the cookie settings in your browser.

When we refer to cookies we include other similar technologies such as web beacons, action tags, Local Shared Objects (also called ‘Flash cookies’), single-pixel gifs which are used for the same purpose.

You can find more information about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set on your device and how to manage and disable them please go to the Information Commissioner’s webpage on cookies: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online/cookies/ .

We use the following cookies:

  • Strictly necessary cookies. These are cookies that are essential for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website.
  • Analytical/performance cookies. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
  • Functionality cookies. These are used to recognise you when you return to our website. This enables us to personalise our content for you, greet you by name and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region).
  • Targeting / advertising cookies. These cookies record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. We will use this information to make our website and the advertising displayed on it more relevant to your interests. We may also share this information with third parties for this purpose.

How long do cookies last?

We use cookies and similar technologies that only remain on your device for as long as you keep your browser active (session) and cookies and similar technologies that remain on your device for a longer period (persistent). You are free to block, delete, or disable these technologies if your device allows this. You can manage your cookies and your cookie preferences in your browser or device settings. Please see below details on the duration of each cookie.

What about third parties?

We work with third party suppliers who may also set cookies on our website, for example advertising networks and providers of external services like web traffic analysis services, over which we have no control. These third party suppliers are responsible for the cookies they set on our site. If you want further information please go to the website for the relevant third party. These cookies are likely to be analytical/performance cookies or targeting cookies. You will find additional information in the table above.

How to control and delete cookies

We will not use any cookies (except for strictly necessary cookies as defined above) until you have given us your consent. By using our site you consent to us placing cookies on your device in accordance with the terms of this cookies policy.

You can block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies.

In order to do this, follow the instructions provided by your browser (usually located within the “Help”, “Tools” or “Edit” facility). Alternatively, you can visit https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online/cookies/ for more information on how to manage cookies. However, please be aware that, if you refuse or disable cookies, some of our site’s functionality may be unavailable or not work properly.

In addition, disabling a cookie or category of cookie does not delete the cookie from your device; you will need to do this yourself from within your browser.

Changes to our use of cookies

Any changes to our use of cookies for this site will be posted here.

Contact information

If you have any queries in relation to this notice or our use of cookies, please contact us.

You can find out more information about how we process personal data in our Privacy Policy .