What cookies does Southampton Wire use?
Southampton Wire uses three categories of cookies: strictly necessary, functional and analytics, and advertising and tracking. These are set by us (Sliema Media Limited, registered in Malta under C 84217) and by trusted third-party partners to help the site work, remember your preferences, and understand how readers use our journalism.
Strictly necessary cookies are essential for you to navigate the site and use its features, such as accessing secure areas or remembering your cookie consent choice. Without these, the site cannot function properly. Functional and analytics cookies help us improve your experience by remembering your preferences (like text size or region) and collecting anonymous data on how readers interact with articles. Advertising and tracking cookies may be used to deliver relevant adverts and measure the performance of our commercial partnerships, including affiliate links and sponsored content. These are only placed with your explicit consent.
How can you manage or change your cookie settings?
You can control which cookies we place on your device at any time through our Cookie Settings tool, accessible from the footer of every page on southamptonwire.co.uk. This tool lets you accept or reject functional, analytics and advertising categories individually.
When you first visit the site, a clear banner asks you to choose your preferences. You can change your mind later by clicking the “Cookie Settings” link. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect how the site works for you, for example by limiting personalisation or the relevance of adverts you see. Your consent is managed by our consent management platform, which records your choice for 12 months before prompting you again.
What you can expect from us
We are committed to transparency about how we use data. Our editorial mission — trustworthy local journalism without spin — extends to how we handle your privacy. We never sell your personal data, and we do not use cookies to build profiles for purposes unrelated to our service.
All cookie use is reviewed by our editorial and technical teams, led by Editor-in-Chief William Ashby and our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead Diane Forbes. We follow UK data protection law and the GDPR as implemented in Malta, where Sliema Media Limited is registered. For full details on how we handle your personal information, please read our Privacy Policy. You can also learn more about our advertising and affiliate disclosure and our sponsored content policy.
Who sets cookies on southamptonwire.co.uk?
Cookies are set both by Southampton Wire (first-party cookies) and by our trusted service providers (third-party cookies). First-party cookies are essential for basic site functions and analytics. Third-party cookies come from partners we use for advertising, analytics, and affiliate commerce.
Our third-party partners include analytics providers who help us understand which articles are most read, and advertising networks that serve relevant display ads. Each partner is required to comply with our data protection standards. We do not allow any third party to use cookies for purposes beyond those you have consented to. If you have questions about a specific partner, please contact our privacy team at privacy@southamptonwire.co.uk.
How long do cookies last on your device?
Session cookies are temporary and are deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period — typically up to 12 months for consent cookies, and up to 24 months for analytics cookies — unless you delete them manually through your browser settings.
You can clear all cookies stored on your device at any time via your browser’s privacy settings. However, doing so may reset your preferences and require you to set your cookie choices again when you next visit. We recommend using our Cookie Settings tool for granular control rather than clearing all cookies, as this preserves your other site preferences.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or how we use cookies, please contact our privacy team at privacy@southamptonwire.co.uk. You can also write to Sliema Media Limited at Level 3, Tower Business Centre, Tower Street, Swatar, Birkirkara BKR 4013, Malta, or call +356 2779 4100. For editorial concerns, contact Editor-in-Chief William Ashby at william.ashby@southamptonwire.co.uk or +44 20 4587 9486. We aim to respond to all enquiries within five working days. You can also read our complaints procedure and terms of use for further information. This policy was last updated in March 2025.