A "cookie" is a piece of information that is stored on your computer's hard drive and which records how you move your way around a website so that, when you revisit that website, it can present tailored options based on the information stored about your last visit. Cookies can also be used to analyse traffic and for advertising and marketing purposes.
Cookies are used by nearly all websites and do not harm your system.
If you want to check or change what types of cookies you accept, this can usually be altered within your browser settings. You can block cookies at any time by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our site.
We use cookies to track your use of our website. This enables us to understand how you use the site and track any patterns with regards how you are using our website. This helps us to develop and improve our website as well as products and / or services in response to what you might need or want.
Cookies are either:
• Session cookies: these are only stored on your computer during your web session and are automatically deleted when you close your browser – they usually store an anonymous session ID allowing you to browse a website without having to log in to each page but they do not collect any personal data from your computer; or
• Persistent cookies: a persistent cookie is stored as a file on your computer and it remains there when you close your web browser. The cookie can be read by the website that created it when you visit that website again.
Cookies can also be categorised as follows:
• Strictly necessary cookies: These cookies are essential to enable you to use the website effectively, such as when buying a product and/or service, and therefore cannot be turned off. Without these cookies, the services available to you on our website cannot be provided. These cookies do not gather information about you that could be used for marketing or remembering where you have been on the internet.
• Performance cookies: These cookies enable us to monitor and improve the performance of our website. For example, they allow us to count visits, identify traffic sources and see which parts of the site are most popular.
• Functionality cookies: These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make and provide enhanced features. For instance, we may be able to provide you with news or updates relevant to the services you use. They may also be used to provide services you have requested such as viewing a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect is usually anonymised.
When you first visit our website, a cookie banner will appear asking for your consent to use non-essential cookies.
- Accept all cookies
- Reject all non-essential cookies
- Customise your cookie preferences
We will not place non-essential cookies (such as performance, analytics, or targeting cookies) on your device unless you have provided your consent. You can change your cookie preferences at any time via our cookie banner or by adjusting your browser settings.
Please note that third parties who advertise on our website (including, for example, advertising networks and providers of external services like web traffic analysis services) may also use cookies, over which we have no control. These cookies are likely to be analytical/performance cookies or targeting cookies.
The following table explains the cookies we use and why:
| Cookie Name / Category | Type | Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASP.NET_SessionId | Functional | Login/session tracking | Session | First-party |
| cookieconsent_status | Functional | Stores your cookie preferences so we don’t ask again on future visits | 1 year | First-party |
| cf_clearance | Security | Cloudflare bot/security handling | Up to 1 year (set by site configuration) | Cloudflare |
| _ga, _ga_* | Analytics | Google Analytics - distinguishes users | 6–13 months | |
| Security/Bot protection (Google reCAPTCHA) | Security / Bot protection | Cookies set by Google reCAPTCHA to distinguish human users from bots, prevent abuse, and ensure secure logins. These cookies may change over time depending on Google’s implementation. | 6–13 months |
Please note: Actual cookies may vary depending on the technologies active on our website. This table is reviewed regularly and updated as needed.
Some third-party services (e.g. Google reCAPTCHA) may set additional cookies to support security and fraud prevention. These are not used for marketing or personalisation.
We review this Cookie Policy regularly to ensure it remains accurate and up to date with legal requirements and our cookie practices.
