You have probably heard of cookies before but we are here to explain them in a bit more detail. Generally when you visit a website a cookie is downloaded onto your PC, mac, tablet or phone via your web browser. While you are using the website or if you visit the website again, your PC, mac, tablet or phone checks to see if there is a relevant cookie and sends the information contained in the cookie back to the website.

Cookies are used to tailor your experience, allowing you to save items so that you can find them again easily, track form submissions, help you log in and help take payments where applicable.

You may refuse to accept cookies by activating the setting on your browser which allows you to refuse the setting of cookies. Unless you do this, cookies will be issued when you use this website.

You can also delete them via your browser at any time. If you do not accept cookies, or decide to delete them, you will still be able to access and use the website but you won’t be able to login to registered user content.

There are also times when cookies are used for analytical purposes. For example, Google Analytics, the web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information about details of the users’, visits to the website (including IP addresses) and the resources accessed on it. This helps to analyse and improve this website; making sure it runs smoothly for you when you use it.

We use Google reCAPTCHA to protect our website from spam and abuse. reCAPTCHA analyses interactions on the site to determine whether they are made by a human or an automated system. This involves the collection of information such as IP address, device and browser details, and user behaviour patterns. This data is processed by Google and may be used to improve reCAPTCHA and for general security purposes. The use of reCAPTCHA is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By using our site, you acknowledge that reCAPTCHA may be deployed on certain pages where security is required.

You can install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On to prevent Google Analytics cookies being set, available for download here