This page explains what cookies and similar storage technologies are used on www.hcoms.co.uk, why they are used, and how you can control them. It sits alongside our Privacy Policy and is published in line with UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to store on your device. Cookies let a site remember things between page loads or visits — for example, that you have a logged-in session, or to count how many people have read a page.
The cookies we set
The only cookies set by this site are from Google Analytics, and they are only set if you accept analytics on the cookie banner. If you decline (or simply ignore the banner), no cookies are set at all. The site works the same either way.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga |
Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes unique visitors. We do not enable advertising features and Google truncates IP addresses before they are stored. | Up to 13 months |
_ga_J37FGBNZMW |
Google Analytics 4 | Maintains session state (so a single visit isn’t counted as several). | Up to 13 months |
We do not use any advertising, retargeting, social-media tracking or third-party marketing cookies on this site.
What we use instead of a cookie for the banner
To remember whether you have already answered the cookie banner, we use your browser’s localStorage (a single entry called hcoms_consent containing the word granted or denied). This is not a cookie, is not sent back to our server, and is not shared with anyone. You can clear it at any time from your browser’s site-data settings.
Consent and your choices
When you first visit the site you see a banner asking whether to enable analytics. Until you click Accept analytics, Google Analytics is loaded in denied consent mode and no analytics cookies are set. If you click Decline, analytics stays disabled.
You can change your mind at any time:
- Clear site data for hcoms.co.uk in your browser settings — the banner will reappear on your next visit.
- Configure your browser to refuse all cookies. This will not stop you from reading any page on the site.
- Install a browser extension that blocks Google Analytics, such as the official Google Analytics opt-out add-on.
Server logs
Independently of cookies, our web server keeps short-term logs of IP addresses, browser types, pages visited and timestamps. These are used for security and diagnostics only, retained for up to 90 days, and are not joined to any cookie or analytics data.
Third parties
The only third-party service that can set cookies on this site is Google Analytics 4, and only after explicit consent. Google’s use of data is governed by their own privacy policy. We do not embed third-party fonts that set cookies, social-media widgets, chat widgets, video players or advertising tags on this site.
Changes to this policy
If we add or change a cookie, we will update the table above and the “Last updated” date at the top of the page. Material changes will also reset the cookie banner so you can review your choice.
Questions about this policy? Email hello@hcoms.co.uk. For complaints about how we handle your data, you can also contact the UK Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk.