diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java
index 7a05c30d2464aff9d8f0773928119daa3b9e3b96..d105b7640dc240692be3e5987c3f717774d9c708 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/components/variant/VCFRecord.java
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ class VCFRecord
   
   protected String getFormatValue(String key)
   {
+    if(getFormat() == null)
+      return null;
     String fmts[] = COLON_PATTERN.split(getFormat());
     for(int i=0; i<fmts.length; i++)
     {