Cookie Policy
By using our site, you consent to this privacy policy:
This website allows third-party advertising companies for the purpose of reporting website traffic, statistics, advertisements, "click-throughs" and/or other activities to use Cookies and /or Web Beacons and other monitoring technologies to serve ads and to compile anonymous statistics about you when you visit this website. Cookies are small text files stored on your local internet browser cache. A Web Beacon is an often-transparent graphic image, usually no larger than 1-pixel x 1 pixel that is placed on a Web site. Both are created for the main purpose of helping your browser process the special features of websites that use Cookies or Web Beacons. The gathered information about your visits to this website is used by these third-party companies in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. The information does not include any personal data like your name, address, email address, or telephone number.
Law
A new law on cookies demands that you, as a website user, are given the opportunity to understand how cookies are used on our websites and consent to cookies being stored on your computer (laptop/mobile/tablet).
What are cookies?
A cookie is a small text file, typically of letters and numbers, downloaded to your computer when you access websites. Typically, they contain the following information: a site name and unique user ID, the duration of the cookie's abilities and effects, and a random number. As a rule, cookies cannot be used to reveal your identity or personally identifying information.
When you visit a website that uses cookies for the first time, a cookie is downloaded onto your computer. The next time you visit that website, your computer checks to see if it has a cookie that is relevant and sends the information contained in that cookie back to the website. The website then notes that you have been there before, and in some cases, tailors what pops up on the screen to take account of that fact. They also might record how long you spend on each page on a site, what links you click, and even your preferences for page layouts and colour schemes.
Generally, the role of cookies is beneficial, making your interaction with frequently-visited sites smoother with no extra effort on your part. Without cookies, online shopping would be much harder. Without cookies, some websites will become less interactive with the cookie option turned off.
Most common cookies
Session cookies
These cookies expire when you close your web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome). These cookies are used for various reasons, for example, remembering what you have put in your shopping basket as you browse a website. They can also be used for security to access your Internet banking or email.
Persistent cookies
These cookies are still stored on your computer after you have closed your web browser which allows your preferences on websites to be remembered. These cookies are used for a variety of purposes, for example, remembering your preferences on a website (your language choice or your user name on a particular website).
First and Third Party cookies
This refers to the website placing the cookie. First-party cookies are cookies set by the website you are visiting. Third-party cookies are set by another website; the website you are visiting may have advertising on the page and this other website will be able to set a cookie on your computer. Third-party cookies on the main web browsers allow third-party cookies by default. Changing the settings on your browsers can prevent this.
Exceptions
There are some exemptions to the above where it is essential for a website to store information on your computer, for example, to provide a service to you that you have requested.
Further information can be found at
http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/privacy_and_electronic_communications/the_guide/cookies.aspx and
http://www.allaboutcookies.org/.