Cookie Policy

An introduction to cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of our website.

Cookies deployed by our website:

  • ensure that functionality operates as intended
  • remember your choices and preferences during and between visits
  • allow you to share pages via social network widgets like Facebook, Twitter and AddThis
  • allow you to interact with our website by leaving comments or opinions
  • post enquiries via our Anti-Spam enquiry form
  • track your visit for statistical analysis, allowing us to improve the usability, speed and security of our website

Cookies are not deployed to:

  • collect any personal identifiable information (without your express permission)
  • collect any sensitive information (without your express permission)
  • pass data to advertising networks
  • pass personally identifiable data to third parties
  • pay sales commissions

First party cookies used on the Site

Here is a list of cookies which may be added to your browser when you visit our website:

Cookie NameDescriptionDuration
wordpress_WordPress cookie for a logged in user.session
wordpress_logged_in_WordPress cookie for a logged in usersession
wordpress_test_WordPress cookie for a logged in usersession
wordpress_test_cookieWordPress test cookiesession
wordpress_sec_[UID]WordPress security based cookiesession
wpe-authWordPress functional cookie set by the CMS. This is necessary for the website to perform correctlysession
wp-settings-WordPress also sets a few wp-settings-[UID] cookies. The number on the end is your individual user ID from the users database table. This is used to customize your view of admin interface, and possibly also the main site interface.1 year
wp-settings-time-WordPress also sets a few wp-settings-{time}-[UID] cookies. The number on the end is your individual user ID from the users database table. This is used to customize your view of admin interface, and possibly also the main site interface.1 year
PHPSESSIDTo identify your unique session on the websitesession
SESSTo ensure that you are recognised when you move from page to page within the site and that any information you have entered is remembered.session
cookie_notice_acceptedCookie which is set when a visitor has accepted the cookie policy of this website.session
DYNSRVThis cookie is added by our load balancer to track which web server to send the visitor to. Its purpose is to improve the performance of the website.session
ADMINDYNSRVThis cookie is added by our load balancer to track which web server to send the visitor to. Its purpose is to improve the performance of the website.session

Third party cookies used on the Site

We will update this policy as and when additional information becomes available on how third party cookies are used by the relevant third parties.

Cookie NameDescriptionDuration
gaGoogle Analytics : used to distinguish users.2 years
_gatGoogle Analytics: used to throttle request rate.session
_gidGoogle Analytics cookie which registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website.session
tk_aiStores a randomly-generated anonymous ID. This is only used within the admin area and is used for general analytics tracking.session
tk_tcCollects metrics about the users use of the website related to the WordPress.com features so that WordPress.com can improve their servicessession

Your consent for cookie deployment by our website

Upon your visit to our website, you may have noticed our link at the bottom of the page alerting you to the use of cookies by our website. In compliance with the 2011 EU Cookie Law, our website operates on an ‘Implied Consent’ basis. This means that we will assume that you have opted-in for our website to deploy cookies until you choose to deactivate them within your browser settings or via the instructions below. By default, the majority of popular web browsers automatically permit websites to deploy cookies onto your device. Below you can learn more about the specific cookies deployed by our website, and how they can be disabled. For more information on the EU Cookie Law in the UK, we recommend visiting the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website where you can find the latest information, guidelines and advice on the EU Cookie Law.

Cookies used by our website

  • Social Network Sharing

    We encourage users to share our content and/or like our on profile on the popular Social Media websites Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn. In order to make ‘Social Sharing’ accessible, our website utilises widgets either provided directly from the Social Networks and/or via amalgamative widgets from third parties such as AddThis. Cookies and privacy implications from the social networks vary and will be dependent on your nominated privacy settings with each Social Network. Social Sharing buttons will only deploy cookies if you are signed to that respective Social Network at the time of being on our website.

  • Analytical Tracking

    Our website has Google Analytics installed which allows us to track and compile anonymous visitor statistics. The information collected ranges from simple traffic volume to the type of browser you are viewing our website with. This information is valuable to us not just for marketing analysis and quantification, but to improve the usability, security and load speed of our website content. Google Analytics is a popular, secure, flagship webmaster product from Google. The privacy and security of Google Analytics data is a high priority at Google that you can read more about on Google’s Analytics Data Safeguarding page. Google also offer a Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on that will allow you to automatically Opt-out of all websites that track your activity via Google Analytics. No personal information is collected by Google Analytics.

  • Enquiry Forms

    Visitors can choose to contact us via enquiry form(s) on our website. In order to prevent spam enquiries, we protect our forms with a ‘CAPTCHA’ challenge to ensure the submission is from a living person, rather than a computer bot. This CAPTCHA challenge creates a cookie that is used only to check the input response from the user is correct. The CAPTCHA cookie does not store any other information from your enquiry.

  • Google Maps/Places

    Our website may have our Google Maps/Places profile embedded within an iframe. Google Maps creates cookies that enable the functionality of their powerful mapping software. No personal information is stored or shared on the cookies deployed by Google Maps/Places.

How to disable cookies

Most modern browsers allow you to control your cookie settings for all websites that you browse. You can disable cookie deployment completely by editing your browser settings, however in doing this you may be limiting the functionality that is displayed on our website. To learn how to disable cookies on your preferred browser we recommend reading this advice posted by Google.

If you are concerned about cookies tracking your movements on the Internet then you may be concerned about spyware. Spyware is the name given to a particular band of cookies that track personal information about you. There are many antispyware programs that you can use to prevent this from happening. Learn more about antispyware software – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware. As mentioned earlier in this page you call also disable Google Analytics on all websites by downloading the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

This cookie policy was last updated on 31st May 2018.