We are delighted that you would like to contribute to our websites. Before we can accept your comments we need to verify your email address and to ask you to confirm that you agree to follow our Code of Conduct.

Posting a message: In order to post a message, you must agree to the code of conduct below. To avoid misunderstandings, please don't use text message language and try to ensure your post is relatively free of errors. Please also avoid capital letters – this is regarded as raising your voice. Please treat other users with respect.

Breaches: If users are found to be breaching the code of conduct, they will be issued with one warning. If their behaviour persists their account will be blocked.

Objections: If you object to a post use the ‘Report’ button on that post. This will alert a moderator to deal with it, which will be done as soon as possible. All replies to the post will also be removed. Do not abuse this facility: anyone who persistently reports posts without justification will be banned from the message board. Contact details are also given in the announcement section of the site.

Code of conduct

1. Do not advertise products or services on the message boards. Any advertising without permission will be removed.

2. Keep to the topic of the original thread and do not post multiple threads on the same subject.

3. Users must not post messages which:

• Are insulting, abusive, racist, sexist, or derogatory in any way to others, whether they are individuals or companies, social or religious groups or people of a different background, users of the Forum or not.
• Threaten, intimidate, victimise or harass others.
• Make libellous comments about individuals or companies, including Archant newspapers, magazines or websites, and their staff or contributors. The law against defamation protects individuals or organisations from attacks on their reputation. This means the publication of any statement which: exposes them to hatred, ridicule or contempt , causes them to be shunned or avoided, discredits them in their trade, business or profession, or generally lowers them in the eyes of right thinking members of society. Unlike other charges, the onus is on you in cases of libel, as the author, to prove your statement or comment is legal.
• Result in contempt of court – do not post anything which could prejudice court proceedings currently or in the future. It is basically contempt of court to comment on any crime once someone has been arrested for it, even if they have not yet been charged. That is when proceedings become active and potential jurors may be swayed by what they read.
• Contain explicit language or vulgarities.
• Use foreign languages.
• Impersonate or represent any person or entity in an attempt to deceive, harass or otherwise mislead another member.
• Incite illegal activity including the glorification of terrorism or incitement to racial hatred.
• Infringe intellectual property rights or transmit any material that you don't have the right to transmit under law. (such as copyright or trade secrets)
• Link to and/or references content not allowed under these guidelines.
• Use the service in a manner deemed inappropriate by Archant.
• Impede or disrupt the flow of the discussions in the Forum.
• Include personal information about others, or publish private correspondence or report conversations where there has been a reasonable expectation of privacy from other parties.

I accept the terms of use