Cookie Policy

1. What cookies are

A cookie is a small text file a website stores on your device. It lets the site remember things between page loads — that your session is still valid, or that you already answered the cookie banner. We also use closely related technologies such as localStorage, which works the same way for the purposes of this policy.

2. Your choice comes first

3. The categories we use

3.1 Strictly necessary — always active

These make the site work. They cannot be switched off, because without them the request form and basic security would fail. They store no advertising identifiers and are never used to profile you.

• PHPSESSID — keeps your session alive so the contact form can verify that a submission came from a real page on this site. Set by us. Expires when you close your browser.
• Form security token — held inside the session above, it protects the form against cross-site request forgery and repeated automated submissions. Expires with the session.
• vx_consent_v1 — stores your cookie choice so we do not ask again on every page. Stored in localStorage on your device. Persists until you clear it or change your choice.

3.2 Analytics — off until you allow them

These help us understand which pages people read, which services they look for, and where our site is confusing. The data is aggregated and used to improve the site, not to identify you personally.

• Google Analytics (_ga, _ga_*) — distinguishes one visitor from another and measures sessions. Set by Google. Typically expires after up to 24 months. We enable IP anonymisation where the platform offers it.

3.3 Marketing — off until you allow them

These measure whether our advertising works and may allow relevant ads to be shown to you on other sites. If you decline them, you will still see advertising elsewhere online, but it will be less relevant and we will not be able to attribute it to your visit.

• Google Ads conversion & remarketing (_gcl_*, IDE, test_cookie) — records that a visit followed an advertisement and supports remarketing audiences. Set by Google. Typically expires between 24 hours and 13 months depending on the cookie.

4. Consent mode

Where Google tools are present on this site, we operate them in consent mode. Until you grant permission, analytics storage, ad storage, ad user data and ad personalisation are all set to denied, and no advertising identifiers are written to your device. When you accept, your choice is passed to those tools immediately. When you withdraw it, the same happens in reverse.

5. Third-party cookies

Analytics and marketing cookies are set by Google, not by us, and Google processes that data under its own terms. We recommend reading Google's Privacy Policy and its page on how it uses information from sites that use its services. You can opt out of Google Analytics across all websites with the official browser add-on, and manage ad personalisation in your Google Ad Centre.

If you follow a link from our site to a map provider, review platform or social network, that service may set its own cookies. We have no control over them; check that site's own policy.

6. Managing cookies in your browser

Alongside our banner, your browser can block or delete cookies. Blocking strictly necessary cookies will stop the request form from working. Instructions for common browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Apple Safari
• Microsoft Edge

7. Do Not Track

There is no agreed standard for how sites should respond to a browser's "Do Not Track" signal, so we do not act on it. Our banner gives you a direct, verifiable choice instead, and that choice applies whatever your browser sends.

8. Changes to this policy

If we add or remove a cookie, we will update this page and, where the change is material, ask for your consent again. The date at the top of the page shows the current version.

Contact us about this document

If anything in this document is unclear, or you want to exercise a right described in it, contact us and a member of our team will respond.