diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser.pm
index 11ec106af..6f8a76af8 100755
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser.pm
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ use Bio::EnsEMBL::Utils::Scalar qw(assert_ref);
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::Utils::Exception qw(throw warning);
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::VEP::Utils qw(get_compressed_filehandle);
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::Variation::Utils::Sequence qw(trim_sequences);
+use Bio::EnsEMBL::Variation::Utils::VEP qw(&check_format);
 
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::VEP::Parser::VCF;
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::VEP::Parser::VEP_input;
@@ -415,40 +416,7 @@ sub detect_format {
     my @data = split $delimiter, $_;
     next unless @data;
 
-    # region chr21:10-10:1/A
-    if ( $self->Bio::EnsEMBL::VEP::Parser::Region::validate_line(@data) ) {
-      $format = 'region';
-    }
-
-    # SPDI: NC_000016.10:68684738:G:A
-    elsif ($self->Bio::EnsEMBL::VEP::Parser::SPDI::validate_line(@data) ) {
-      $format = 'spdi';
-    }
-
-    # CAID: CA9985736
-    elsif ( $self->Bio::EnsEMBL::VEP::Parser::CAID::validate_line(@data) ) {
-      $format = 'caid';
-    }
-
-    # HGVS: ENST00000285667.3:c.1047_1048insC
-    elsif ( $self->Bio::EnsEMBL::VEP::Parser::HGVS::validate_line(@data) ) {
-      $format = 'hgvs';
-    }
-
-    # variant identifier: rs123456
-    elsif ( $self->Bio::EnsEMBL::VEP::Parser::ID::validate_line(@data) ) {
-      $format = 'id';
-    }
-
-    # VCF: 20  14370  rs6054257  G  A  29  0  NS=58;DP=258;AF=0.786;DB;H2  GT:GQ:DP:HQ
-    elsif ( $self->Bio::EnsEMBL::VEP::Parser::VCF::validate_line(@data) ) {
-      $format = 'vcf';
-    }
-
-    # ensembl: 20  14370  14370  A/G  +
-    elsif ( $self->Bio::EnsEMBL::VEP::Parser::VEP_input::validate_line(@data) ) {
-      $format = 'ensembl';
-    }
+    $format = &check_format(@data);
 
     # reset file handle if it was a handle
     eval {
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/CAID.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/CAID.pm
index d709bbd4d..e051880a1 100755
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/CAID.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/CAID.pm
@@ -108,25 +108,6 @@ sub new {
 }
 
 
-=head2 validate_line
-
-  Example    : $valid = $self->validate_line();
-  Description: Check if input line can be read using this format.
-  Returntype : bool
-  Exceptions : none
-  Caller     : $self->SUPER::detect_format()
-  Status     : Stable
-
-=cut
-
-sub validate_line {
-  my $self = shift;
-  my @line = @_;
-
-  return ( scalar @line == 1 && $line[0] =~ /^CA\d{1,}$/i );
-}
-
-
 =head2 parser
 
   Example    : $io_parser = $parser->parser();
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/HGVS.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/HGVS.pm
index 391bfc8ae..dedde26d7 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/HGVS.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/HGVS.pm
@@ -109,28 +109,6 @@ sub new {
 }
 
 
-=head2 validate_line
-
-  Example    : $valid = $self->validate_line();
-  Description: Check if input line can be read using this format.
-  Returntype : bool
-  Exceptions : none
-  Caller     : $self->SUPER::detect_format()
-  Status     : Stable
-
-=cut
-
-sub validate_line {
-  my $self = shift;
-  my @line = @_;
-
-  return (
-    scalar @line == 1 &&
-      $line[0] =~ /^([^\:]+)\:.*?([cgmrp]?)\.?([\*\-0-9]+.*)$/i
-  );
-}
-
-
 =head2 parser
 
   Example    : $io_parser = $parser->parser();
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/ID.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/ID.pm
index ebce17995..1f5b43ec6 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/ID.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/ID.pm
@@ -105,24 +105,6 @@ sub new {
 }
 
 
-=head2 validate_line
-
-  Example    : $valid = $self->validate_line();
-  Description: Check if input line can be read using this format.
-  Returntype : bool
-  Exceptions : none
-  Caller     : $self->SUPER::detect_format()
-  Status     : Stable
-
-=cut
-
-sub validate_line {
-  my $self = shift;
-  my @line = @_;
-
-  return ( scalar @line == 1 );
-}
-
 =head2 parser
 
   Example    : $io_parser = $parser->parser();
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/Region.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/Region.pm
index a1af5d5e2..4540b14e6 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/Region.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/Region.pm
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ use Bio::EnsEMBL::Utils::Scalar qw(assert_ref);
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::Utils::Exception qw(throw warning);
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::IO::ListBasedParser;
 
+use Bio::EnsEMBL::Variation::Utils::VEP qw(&_valid_region_regex);
 
 =head2 new
 
@@ -124,30 +125,6 @@ sub new {
 }
 
 
-sub _valid_line_regex {
-  return qr/^([^:]+):(\d+)-(\d+)(:[-\+]?1)?[\/:]([a-z]{3,}|[ACGTN-]+)$/i;
-}
-
-
-=head2 validate_line
-
-  Example    : $valid = $self->validate_line();
-  Description: Check if input line can be read using this format.
-  Returntype : bool
-  Exceptions : none
-  Caller     : $self->SUPER::detect_format()
-  Status     : Stable
-
-=cut
-
-sub validate_line {
-  my $self = shift;
-  my @line = @_;
-
-  return ( scalar @line == 1 && $line[0] =~ _valid_line_regex() );
-}
-
-
 =head2 parser
 
   Example    : $io_parser = $parser->parser();
@@ -191,7 +168,7 @@ sub create_VariationFeatures {
 
   my $region = $parser->get_value();
 
-  return [] unless $region =~ _valid_line_regex();
+  return [] unless $region =~ &_valid_region_regex();
   my ($chr, $start, $end) = ($1, $2, $3);
 
   my ($strand, $allele);
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/SPDI.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/SPDI.pm
index 612ce9b61..a314f58fb 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/SPDI.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/SPDI.pm
@@ -101,25 +101,6 @@ sub new {
 }
 
 
-=head2 validate_line
-
-  Example    : $valid = $self->validate_line();
-  Description: Check if input line can be read using this format.
-  Returntype : bool
-  Exceptions : none
-  Caller     : $self->SUPER::detect_format()
-  Status     : Stable
-
-=cut
-
-sub validate_line {
-  my $self = shift;
-  my @line = @_;
-
-  return ( scalar @line == 1 && $line[0] =~ /^(.*?\:){2}([^\:]+|)$/i );
-}
-
-
 =head2 parser
 
   Example    : $io_parser = $parser->parser();
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/VCF.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/VCF.pm
index 8f605c4bd..8b80e5caa 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/VCF.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/VCF.pm
@@ -108,30 +108,6 @@ sub new {
 }
 
 
-=head2 validate_line
-
-  Example    : $valid = $self->validate_line();
-  Description: Check if input line can be read using this format.
-  Returntype : bool
-  Exceptions : none
-  Caller     : $self->SUPER::detect_format()
-  Status     : Stable
-
-=cut
-
-sub validate_line {
-  my $self = shift;
-  my @line = @_;
-
-  return (
-    $line[0] =~ /(chr)?\w+/ &&
-      $line[1] =~ /^\d+$/ &&
-      $line[3] && $line[3] =~ /^[ACGTN\-\.]+$/i &&
-      $line[4]
-  );
-}
-
-
 =head2 parser
 
   Example    : $io_parser = $parser->parser();
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/VEP_input.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/VEP_input.pm
index 2d66ecee1..708df0e95 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/VEP_input.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/VEP/Parser/VEP_input.pm
@@ -71,30 +71,6 @@ use Bio::EnsEMBL::Utils::Exception qw(throw warning);
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::IO::Parser::VEP_input;
 
 
-=head2 validate_line
-
-  Example    : $valid = $self->validate_line();
-  Description: Check if input line can be read using this format.
-  Returntype : bool
-  Exceptions : none
-  Caller     : $self->SUPER::detect_format()
-  Status     : Stable
-
-=cut
-
-sub validate_line {
-  my $self = shift;
-  my @line = @_;
-
-  return (
-    $line[0] =~ /\w+/ &&
-      $line[1] =~ /^\d+$/ &&
-      $line[2] && $line[2] =~ /^\d+$/ &&
-      $line[3] && $line[3] =~ /([a-z]{2,})|([ACGTN-]+\/[ACGTN-]+)/i
-  );
-}
-
-
 =head2 parser
 
   Example    : $io_parser = $parser->parser();