Cookie Policy
Law
A new EU 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?
Cookies are small files of letters and numbers. These files are either stored in the memory of your computer or other device such as mobile phones or tablet devices (these cookies are generally known as session cookies) or are placed on the hard drive of your device (generally known as persistent cookies).
Cookies are created when you visit a website or other service that uses cookies. Cookies are commonly used to help the user's browsing experience and provide more information about the user's experience and interests. This information is generally used to make content, services and advertising more relevant and useful during future visits.
For more details about cookies and details of how to delete and disable cookies you can visit www.aboutcookies.org.
Most common cookies
Session cookies
These cookies expire when you close your web browser. These cookies are used for various reasons, for example, remembering what you have put in your shopping basket as you browse a website.
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.
Our use of cookies
- We use cookies to improve your experience on our websites and for functionality purposes, for example, if you choose to buy any of our products and services, you must consent to us placing a cookie on your computer;
- We also use cookies to understand your usage of our website;
What cookies do we use?
We have set out below the main cookies that we use
Name of Cookie |
What does it do? |
ASP.NET_SessionId |
We use this cookie so that we know when you are actively using our website. It enables us to temporarily store information so that it can be accessed by other pages of our website if necessary to help our website function correctly. |
.ASPAUTH |
We use this cookie so that we know when you are actively using our website. It enables us to temporarily store information so that it can be accessed by other pages of our website if necessary to help our website function correctly. |
We also use cookies which are operated on our behalf by the organisations listed below to help us deliver our services
Google Analytics
Our website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics tool provided by Google Ireland Limited ("Google"). Google Analytics uses cookies to help the website analyse how users use the website. The information generated by the cookies about your use of the website and your current IP-address will be transmitted by your browser to and will be stored by Google on servers in the United States and other countries. Google will use this information on our behalf to evaluate your use of the website, compile reports on website activity and provide us with other services relating to website activity and internet usage. The IP address collected through Google Analytics will not be associated with any other data held by Google.
Below are the main cookies that Google Analytics use
Name of Cookie |
What does it do? |
__utma |
This cookie helps us determine the number of unique visitors to our website. |
__utmb |
We use this Google Analytics cookie to help us to record the length of individual sessions from our users on our website. Each time you move to a new page within our website within 30 minutes of arriving the cookie updates so that we know that you are still actively using our website within a single session. |
__utmc |
Similar to _utmb, we use this Google Analytics cookie to help us record the length of individual sessions on our website. |
__utmz |
This cookie helps us determine the referral method for people visiting our website. This helps us to analyse the traffic arriving at our website and to determine which are the most popular routes (e.g. direct, search engine search, email link). |
Further information can be found at http://www.allaboutcookies.org/.