Cookies
So, what are cookies and why do we use them?
Cookies are files that are recorded in temporary Internet folders on your PC. They’re a useful tool as, by recording the way you use our site, they enable us to get to know you better. For example, we’re able to recognise you when you return to the site, identify your preferences so as to provide you with more personalised service and speed up searches that you conduct when visiting.
You don’t have to accept them. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies by activating the relevant setting (please check the help menu of your browser for more details) however, selecting this setting may mean that you are unable to access certain parts of our site.
Please note that unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you log on to our site.
Further Detail on Cookies
Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your device when you visit a website. Cookies are then sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognises that cookie. Cookies do lots of different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently remembering your preferences and generally improve your web site experience. They can also help to ensure that adverts you see online are more relevant to you and your interests.
We can split cookies into 4 main categories:
Category 1: strictly necessary cookies
Category 2: performance cookies
Category 3: functionality cookies
Category 4: targeting cookies or advertising cookies
Category 1 – Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies services you have asked for, like register for job alerts, cannot be provided.
Please be aware our site uses this type of cookie
Category 2 – Performance cookies
These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance, which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works.
By using our website and online services, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device.
Category 3 – Functionality cookies
These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name and password) and provide enhanced, more personal features. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for such as watching a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect may be anonymous and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
By using our website and online services, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device.
Category 4 – targeting cookies or advertising cookies
These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers. Quite often targeting or advertising cookies will be linked to site functionality provided by the other organisations.
We do have links to other web sites and once you access another site through a link that we have provided it is the responsibility of that site to provide information as to how they use cookies on the respective site.
You can find more information about cookies by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org or www.youronlinechoices.eu. Google also have a brief video which explains the use of cookies.
External links from our site
From time to time we may include hypertext links to sites which are created by individuals and companies outside of our group companies. We do this when there is a particular relevance to the topic you’re reading about. Whilst we endeavour to check that the content of these sites is suitable, we, unfortunately, cannot take any responsibility for the practices of the companies who publish the sites that we link to, nor the integrity of the content contained within them.