diff --git a/functions/classes/class.Common.php b/functions/classes/class.Common.php
index 9835e99ef6802f537b7726c6752c93b182794663..643b7e68106b37c9668d333c791407da998f58a9 100644
--- a/functions/classes/class.Common.php
+++ b/functions/classes/class.Common.php
@@ -1253,8 +1253,8 @@ class Common_functions  {
 		$country = strtolower($country);
 		// set regexes
 		$country_regex = array(
-			'united kingdom' => '/\\A\\b[A-Z]{1,2}[0-9][A-Z0-9]? [0-9][ABD-HJLNP-UW-Z]{2}\\b\\z/i',
-			'england'        => '/\\A\\b[A-Z]{1,2}[0-9][A-Z0-9]? [0-9][ABD-HJLNP-UW-Z]{2}\\b\\z/i',
+			'united kingdom' => '/^([A-Z][A-HJ-Y]?[0-9][A-Z0-9]? ?[0-9][A-Z]{2}|GIR ?0A{2})$/i',
+			'england'        => '/^([A-Z][A-HJ-Y]?[0-9][A-Z0-9]? ?[0-9][A-Z]{2}|GIR ?0A{2})$/i',
 			'canada'         => '/\\A\\b[ABCEGHJKLMNPRSTVXY][0-9][A-Z][ ]?[0-9][A-Z][0-9]\\b\\z/i',
 			'italy'          => '/^[0-9]{5}$/i',
 			'deutschland'    => '/^[0-9]{5}$/i',