Can someone please point me in the right direction, I keep getting 'pop ups' on my laptop and would like a free programme to stop them, thanks in advance.
You don't need a anti-virus programme - Windows Defender will protect you for free.
To stop pop-ups go to settings (from the 3 dots top right) - site settings - pop-ups & redirects, and then you'll have to name them one by one to stop further intrusions.
You may be seriously limiting your options as free and virus protection doesnt make much sense. The paid ones are better developed and supported and not all that expensive. Why pay several hundred pounds for a computer and then protect it properly for the sake of a few pounds a year.