Cookie Policy
- We use cookies to make our website easier for you to use
- We use cookies to monitor usage so we can spot trends and make improvements
- We do not use cookies to identify individuals (and never will)
- We do not store personal information in cookies
We do not believe that cookies pose any threat to your personal privacy or online security and recommend that you “allow” cookies. If you “disable” cookies, you may not benefit from the full use of our website.
More Detailed Information
What Are Cookies?
- A cookie is used by a website to send ‘state information’ to a Users’ browser and for the browser to return the state information to the website. The state information can be used for authentication, identification of a User session, User preferences, or anything else that can be accomplished through storing text data on the User’s computer.
- Cookies cannot be programmed, cannot carry viruses, and cannot install malware on the host computer. However, they can be used to track users’ browsing activities.
- Cookies are used by most websites for a variety of reasons – often very practical reasons to do with the operation of the website. However, they are also used to monitor how people are using the website (which pages are visited and how long is spent on each page). Each “visitor session” is tracked even though no effort is made to try to identify them in person.
- The new legislation now states that you must be able to opt-out from having cookies stored on their computer.
What Happens If You Opt-Out
If you decide to disable cookies we record this so you don’t get asked the question again. You will find that most of the website works as expected although functions that rely on cookies are obviously disabled. These functions include using online forms (e.g. our enquiry form). We use a cookie to remember your cookie preferences, this has a couple of consequences:
- If you delete all your cookies, you will have to tell us your preference again
- If you use a different device, computer profile or browser you will have to tell us your preference again
Cookies That Are Strictly Necessary
- “Strictly Necessary” cookies let you move around the website and use essential features. These cookies don’t gather any information about you that could be used for marketing or remembering where you’ve been on the internet.
Performance Cookies
- “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 how our website works.
- Google Analytics
- We use Google Analytics to monitor usage of the website. Google Analytics collects information anonymously. It reports website trends without identifying individual visitors (not by name or IP address).
AddThis (Social share buttons):
“__atuvc”, “__atuvs”, “loc”, “mus”, “ouid”, “uid”, “uvc”.
Zopim (Live chat facility):
“__zlcmid”.
Google Analytics
The cookies in use to deliver Google Analytics service are described below.
“_ga”, “_gid”.
These cookies are used to store information, such as what time your current visit occurred, whether you have been to the site before, and what site referred you to the web page. These cookies contain no personally identifiable information but they will use your computer’s IP address to know from where in the world you are accessing the Internet. Google stores the information collected by these cookies on servers in the United States. Google may transfer this information to third-parties where required to do so by law, or where such third-parties process the information on Google’s behalf.
Opt-out
In order to provide website visitors with more choice on how data is collected by Google Analytics, Google has developed the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. The add-on communicates with the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js) to stop data being sent to Google Analytics. The Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on does not affect usage of the website in any other way. A link to further information on the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on is provided below for your convenience.
http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=None
For more information on the usage of cookies by Google Analytics please see the Google website. A link to the privacy advice for this product is provided below for your convenience.
http://www.google.com/analytics/learn/privacy.html
Disabling Cookies
If you would like to restrict the use of cookies you can control this in your Internet browser. Links to advice on how to do this for the most popular Internet browsers are provided below for convenience and will be available for the Internet browser of your choice either online or via the software help (normally available via key F1).
Internet Explorer – http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows7/Block-enable-or-allow-cookiesGoogle
Chrome – https://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&answer=95647&p=cpn_cookiesMozilla
Safari – https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201265