What are cookies?
A “cookie” is a text file that is stored on your computer, tablet or phone or any internet device when you visit a website.
A cookie is small in size, so does not usually have a noticeable effect on the hard-disc space on your device
There are different types of cookies:
Session Cookies: these are usually deleted when you close your browser
Persistent Cookies: these remain on your device until they expire, or a site or you deletes them for your browser cache. These type of cookies help a site remember customised settings and information about your individual use of the site.
To find out more about cookies visit www.aboutcookies.org. From www.aboutcookies.org you can find out information about cookies, what cookies have been set and how you can delete them.
Alternatively, you can search the internet for other independent information on cookies.
How can I control cookies?
If you do not wish sites to set cookies, you are able to modify your browser so that it can either refuse all cookies or notify you when a cookie is set. You are also able to delete cookies that have already been set in your browser.
To block all or some web browser cookies then you can do this through using your browser settings. Your browser Help section will be able to help you with this. Alternatively, www.aboutcookies.org, contains information on how to do this.
How we use Cookies
We use cookies (and similar technologies) to:
- Collect usage statistics to help improve our service
Site Use Statistics Cookies
These cookies help us collect traffic information and statistics that help us to improve the sites functionality and design to suit the browsers and devices you use.
The site use statistics cookies:
- Name: __utma, __utmb, __utmc, __utmz (__utm* in general) and __qca
Purpose: These cookies are set by Google Analytics and Jetpack in order to collect statistical information about traffic and use of the website. You can find out more about Google’s Privacy Policy at http://www.google.co.uk/policies/privacy/ - Name: __atuvc
Purpose: Created and read by the AddThis JavaScript on the client side in order to make sure the user sees the updated count if they share a page and return to it before the AddThis share count cache is updated. No data from that cookie is sent back to AddThis and removing it when disabling cookies would cause unexpected behavior for users.
Other Cookies
- Name: wp-settings-1, wp-settings-time-1, wpfilebase, wordpress_test_cookie, wordpress_logged_in
Purpose: Essential cookies used by the Content Management System and hold no personally identifiable information
Third party cookies
From time to time we embed photos and video content from websites such as YouTube, Flickr, Twitter (etc) to enable us to offer information and help guides (etc). Pages on our site that contain embedded content may present cookies from these third party websites. Also, when you click on any “Share this”, “Like”, “Tweet”, “Post” or “Send to a friend” links/buttons a cookie may be set by the service providing the functionality. We cannot control the use of these cookies so these settings will not block cookies from those websites. You can change the cookies on the third party website themselves. Please contact them for further information.