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 which recognises that Cookie.
- Cookies do lots of different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, remembering your preferences, and generally improve your web site experience.
- They can also help to ensure that adverts you see online are more relevant to you and your interests.
You can find more information about cookies by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org or www.youronlinechoices.eu
Categories of Cookies
We can split Cookies into 4 main categories:
- Category 1 — Strictly necessary Cookies
- Category 2 — Performance Cookies
- Category 3 — Functionality Cookies
- Category 4 — Targeting Cookies or advertising Cookies
Category 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-commerce, cannot be provided.
- We use a session Cookie to help store this data. Session Cookies lasts the duration of the user session +30 minutes and is removed when the user closes their browser.
- By using our website and online services, you agree that we can place these types of Cookies on your device.
Category 2 — 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.
- This includes Cookies set by Google Analytics. 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.
- By using our website and online services, you agree that we can place these types of Cookies on your device.
Category 3 — Functionality Cookies
- These Cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your username, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features.
- These Cookies can 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 commenting on a blog or using social media to like this site.
- The information these Cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
- By using our website and online services, you agree that we can place these types of Cookies on your device.
Category 4 — 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.
- Our site does not use this type of Cookie.
