Cookies and Privacy
What is a cookie?
Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your device when you visit a website. Cookies are then 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. You can find more information about cookies at: www.allaboutcookies.org and www.youronlinechoices.eu for a video about cookies see below:
Cookies do lots of different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, remembering your preferences, and generally improve the user experience. They can also help to ensure that adverts you see online are more relevant to you and your interests. The cookies used on this website have been categorised based on the categories found in the ICC UK Cookie guide. A list of all the cookies used on this website by category is set out below.
Browser cookie control
All recent versions of popular browsers give users a level of control over cookies – for more information visit: http://www.aboutcookies.org/Default.aspx?page=1
Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies services you have asked for, like shopping baskets or e-billing, cannot be provided.
- PHPSESSID – only valid for your current visit and is used to remember the content of your shopping basket and whether you are logged in or not
- cookiesupport – valid for less than a day, this cookie is set to determine if your current browser supports cookies in order to login
Performance cookies
These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works.
- __utma – a persistent cookie which remains on a computer, unless it expires or the cookie cache is cleared. It tracks visitors.
- __utmb / __utmc – only valid for the current browser session, these cookies store your arrival time and exit time on the site
- __utmz – cookie lasts for 6 months and details how you found the site
These cookes are set, both by us, and some third parties (for example embedded video players) to provide critical website management data via Google Analytics. You can opt-out of Google Analytics across all websites using this free tool: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
Functionality cookies
These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. For instance, a website may be able to provide you with local weather reports or traffic news by storing in a cookie the region in which you are currently located. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for such as watching a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
No functionality cookies are used by this site
Targeting cookies or advertising cookies
These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator’s permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers. Quite often targeting or advertising cookies will be linked to site functionality provided by the other organisation.
None of these cookies are used by this site