Privacy Policy

1. Information involved

• Reading and searching: our server receives technical information needed to deliver pages, such as your IP address, requested URL and browser details. Server logs may record these details and request times. Search terms appear in the page URL and may appear in logs.
• Contacting us: if you call, email or message us, the information you provide may include your name, contact details, message and attachments. Please avoid sending unnecessary sensitive information.
• Staff accounts: account records contain a name, username, email where collected, password hash, account status and access permissions. Passwords are stored as hashes rather than readable passwords.
• News and contributors: articles, photographs, bylines and author profiles may contain personal information supplied by contributors, sources or people involved in the news.

2. How information is used

Information supports delivery of the website, responses to enquiries, editorial work, staff-account management and protection against unauthorised access. Article pages also maintain a total view count. Login protection uses hashed identifiers derived from usernames and source IP addresses to limit repeated attempts.

Information supplied for a news tip may be considered for reporting. If you have concerns about attribution or confidentiality, discuss them with the newsroom before sending sensitive material.

3. Cookies and login sessions

The staff login uses a session cookie to keep authorised users signed in and protect forms. The site's public news pages do not require a reader account. You can control or delete cookies through your browser; blocking the staff session cookie prevents normal use of the administration area.

Embedded media and external services may handle cookies or similar technologies separately, as described below. This notice itself does not grant permission for optional tracking.

4. Hosting, embedded content and external links

Website hosting and communication services process information needed to provide their services. Authorised staff can access information relevant to their duties. Information may also need to be disclosed when required by applicable law.

Articles may contain embedded YouTube videos or remotely hosted images. Loading that content can send your IP address, browser information and page-related information to its provider, which may use its own cookies. Provider privacy practices apply to that processing.

Links to advertisers, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp and other websites take you to services with their own privacy policies. Information you send through those services is also handled by their operators.

5. Retention and security

Staff records, correspondence and editorial material serve different purposes. Retention depends on the continuing need to operate the service, handle an enquiry, maintain a news archive or meet applicable obligations. Contact us for information about the retention of a particular record.

The login limiter uses 15-minute attempt windows; expired entries are removed when a subsequent attempt is processed. Hosting logs, staff account records and backups have separate retention arrangements.

Security measures include password hashing, access permissions and checks on administrative requests. No website or communication method can guarantee complete protection against every security risk.

6. Your choices and privacy requests

You can contact us to ask about your personal information, request a correction or raise a concern about information published on this website. Include the relevant article URL or account identifier and enough detail to explain your request. Do not send your password.

Depending on the law that applies, you may have rights to access, correct or erase information, restrict or object to its use, obtain a portable copy, withdraw consent where processing relies on consent, or complain to a data-protection authority. These rights can be subject to exceptions, including those relevant to journalism and legal obligations. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

If you are concerned about a child's personal information appearing on this website, please contact the newsroom with the relevant page link.

7. Changes to this notice

This notice may be updated when website features or data-handling practices change. The date above identifies the latest revision.