A major road may be closed next week as crowds are expected to flock to a new gold buying centre as it is opened by antiques expert David Dickinson.

A new branch of Rex Johnson Online will open in Bearwood on Thursday.

The event, in the former HSBC building, is expected to attract crowds and bosses of the jewellery store have asked police to close the stretch, so traffic diverts to other routes, if too many turn up. The centre is between the Hagley Road and Sandon Road junctions of Bearwood Road.

People will be able to sell unwanted jewellery at the second Rex Johnson branch in the area – the other is in Birdcage Walk, Dudley.

It is the third site of its kind to be re-launched in the West Midlands by the long-established family business in just two months.

The first was opened in Coventry city centre at the end of April and the second in Sheldon in May.

The demand for the store, which was originally planned to open later this year, has meant its opening date has been brought forward, said Rex Johnson’s managing director David Johnson.

He said: “The overwhelming response has prompted the third opening originally scheduled for later this year.

“People are realising that there is ready cash tied up in their old, broken or unwanted jewellery and are coming in to sell it while gold prices remain high.”

A bugle fanfare and town crier will also be in the town to open the centre.

David added that he has asked for the road to be closed for health and safety reasons.

Around nine police officers are expected to be at the event and will make a decision on whether to close the road on the day.

He said: “We’ve had a few of these over the last six weeks because we’ve opened Coventry and there were several hundred people at that opening, then David Dickinson came and opened Sheldon and we had a similar turnout to the ceremony there.

“That is really why we want the roads to close because otherwise he comes out from the inside to open it and does the cutting of the ribbon and we have the buglers playing and the pavement isn’t that wide.

“It’s a health and safety issue. I think it would be safer to close off the road.”