The 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 browsing device.
What are cookies? A cookie is a small text file, typically of letters and numbers, downloaded to your computer when you access websites. Typically, they contain the following information: a site name and unique user ID, the duration of the cookie's abilities and effects, and a random number. When you visit a website that uses cookies for the first time, a cookie is downloaded onto your computer. The next time you visit that website, your computer checks to see if it has a cookie that is relevant and sends the information contained in that cookie back to the website. The website then notes that you have been there before, and in some cases, can tailor what is displayed on screen to take account of that fact. They also might record how long you spend on each page on a site, what links you click, even your preferences for page layouts and colour schemes. Generally, cookies are beneficial, making your interaction with frequently-visited sites smoother with no extra effort on your part. Without cookies, online shopping would be much harder. Without cookies, some websites will become less interactive with the cookie option turned off.
Can a cookie reveal my identity? As a rule, cookies cannot be used to reveal your identity or personally identifying information.
Types of cookies
Session cookies These type of cookies are used by the website to store information about user page activities so users can easily pick up where they left off on the websites's pages. By default, web pages really don't have any 'memory'. Cookies tell the website what pages to show the user so the user doesn't have to remember or start navigating the site all over again. Cookies act as a sort of “bookmark” within the site. Similarly,cookies can store ordering information needed to make shopping carts work instead of forcing the user to remember all the items the user put in the shopping cart. These cookies are destroyed when a user closes the website browser (ie. Internet explorer,Firefox, Chrome, safari etc.)
Persistent cookies These type of cookies remain on your device after you have closed your website browser. They are used to remember your preferences for a specific websites or group of websites. These type of cookies usually have an expiry date after which a new cookie will be created.
First and Third party cookies First party cookies are set by the website that are visiting. Third party cookies are set by another website examples of this are advertising, tracking etc. Most web browsers allow third party cookies to be set by default. Most web browsers will allow you to choose to block either first or third party cookies.
Our use of Cookies
We use cookies to for functionality purposes and to improve your browsing experience for example if you choose to purchase products or services from our website then we would require the use of a cookie to enable the purchase to take place. We also use cookies to understand how people use our website
Can I view the cookies that a website stores on my computer? On most web browsers you can view what cookies are used and who sets the cookies. i.e. whether they are first or third party cookies. In google chrome you can do this by clicking either the padlock at the beginning of the address bar (for secure https:// websites) or the i (for a non-secure http:// website) Further information can be found at https://www.ico.org.uk/for_organisations/privacy_and_electronic_communications/the_guide/cookies.aspx and https://www.allaboutcookies.org/ .
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