A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers downloaded on to a user device (for example a PC or a smartphone) when you access some websites.
Cookies allow a website to recognise your device, each time you visit.
A website’s cookies store information on your device. The information is then sent back to that website each time you visit. Sometimes this information is essential to enable you to access a website’s functions – for example if you need to log in, a cookie will allow the website to recognise your log in details. Or, if you are shopping online, a cookie will store order information – the contents of your shopping cart for example – so that you can make purchases.
Cookies can also be used to build a profile of your activity on a website; for example, which pages you visit, and how long you spend on each page. A website may then use this information to tailor the pages that you see when you visit the site in the future.
Yes, our website uses a total of three cookies, because we use a tool called Google Analytics that uses cookies to collect information about how visitors use our site. The information we collect is anonymous – it cannot be used to identify you personally. We use the information to compile reports about the number of visitors to the site and the pages they visited, which we then use to help us to improve the website.
Yes, all recent versions of popular browsers (e.g. Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari) allow you to control cookies. Typically, you can set your browser to accept or reject all, or certain cookies. You might, for example, be happy to accept a cookie that allows you to log in to a website, but prefer to reject any which are used to build a profile of your internet usage. You should also be able to set your browser to prompt you each time a cookie is offered. For detailed instructions on how to control or delete cookies on different browsers visit www.AboutCookies.org.
